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Zoran Popov's nomination confirmed by parliamentary committee to be new Ambassador to US

Zoran Popov's nomination confirmed by parliamentary committee to be new Ambassador to US
Skopje, 26 July 2022 (MIA) - The nomination of Zoran Popov to be North Macedonia's newly appointed ambassador to the United States was confirmed Tuesday by the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. He presented thesis about his diplomatic mission in the United States before the parliamentary body in a session behind closed doors due to the confidentiality of information, Foreign Ministry official has said. Only members of Parliament who have been issued security clearances were allowed to listen to his presentation. The presentation of his diplomatic platform concludes all the procedures before Ambassador Popov leaves to take up the ambassadorial post in Washington. Before being nominated for Ambassador to the US, Popov served as state secretary at the Foreign Ministry. North Macedonia has had no ambassador to the United States, the country's strategic partner and NATO ally, for more than four years since the mandate ended of the previous envoy, Vasko Naumovski. The commission session was interrupted because a plenary session was taking place. Its resumption is yet to be scheduled. In addition to Popov, the newly appointed Ambassador to Canada, Agron Buxhaku, the Ambassador to Norway, Driton Kuci, the Ambassador to Belgium, Metodija Belevski, and the Ambassador to Slovakia Evgenija Ilieva should present their platform before the parliamentary committee. The Foreign Ministry has revealed that agréments had been received involving three ambassadors, including Viktor Dimovski, the new Ambassador to France, the Ambassador to Bulgaria, Agneza Rusi, and Jovan Manasijevski, the new Ambassador to Turkey. Earlier, the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously adopted the bills on the ratification of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. Both ruling party and opposition MPs backed the accession of the two Scandinavian countries to NATO, stressing that these are two friendly countries that have always supported the Republic of North Macedonia since its independence, and in terms of its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.