Skopje, 21 October 2021 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met with his Albanian counterpart, the new Speaker of Parliament, Lindita Nikolla during the conference of speakers of European national parliaments in Athens. Xhaferi expressed hopes that the excellent collaboration between the parliaments of both countries will continue to grow and develop in the upcoming period, his office said. The speakers shared views on current developments in their countries with Xhaferi informing Nikolla about the local elections, which he described as being conducted in accordance with the highest international standards. He said he was confident that the upcoming second round on October 31 will be held in the same fair, peaceful and democratic atmosphere. The speakers welcomed the European Commission’s positive report of the countries’ progress for 2021, presented this week by European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. At the end of their meeting, Xhaferi invited Nikolla to visit North Macedonia. dk/ba/