Skopje, 19 August 2021 (MIA) — Our country knows what solidarity means and how important it is to reciprocate the solidarity one has been shown as well as to understand people's tragedies, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in an interview for Sitel TV on Thursday evening. "You don't have to be big or bigger than the others, you don't have to be rich or richer than the others to have a big heart, to show compassion. We have always shown our greatness as a nation, it is our duty to show it," he highlighted. "We offered help because we have always shown solidarity," PM Zaev continued. "Remember that Afghanistan, too, took part in rebuilding Skopje after the catastrophic earthquake and helped build the Universal Hall." "In more recent years, Afghan civilians worked alongside our troops to advance democracy in their country. They worked on humanitarian projects in Afghanistan and it is our duty to help them now when their lives are in danger," Zaev said in response to a question regarding the country's capacity to take in Afghan refugees. He dismissed as "politicking" recent comparisons between North Macedonia and richer countries regarding how many refugees they were willing to take in. "This is a matter of principles, values, of choosing to show compassion for the people of Afghanistan and their plight," Zaev said. "I am very proud we can give hope to 450–500 or even more people in their time of need." He said he would have a meeting on Friday morning with the officials coordinating the arrival of North Macedonia's nationals and the Afghan civilians evacuated from Kabul. The first group arriving in the country tomorrow are nationals flying in from Doha, Qatar, followed by Afghan citizens who will be accommodated in hotels. The prime minister pointed out that the costs of their accommodation until they travel to their final destinations in other countries were being covered by the United States. mr/