Washington, 4 February 2026 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi is visiting Washington, D.C, where he met with senior U.S. officials and international organization representatives to enhance bilateral ties and inter-parliamentary cooperation.

Gashi met with Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, co-chair of the Congressional Macedonian Caucus. The discussion focused on the strategic partnership between North Macedonia and the United States, based on shared democratic values, and on the role of the U.S. Congress in promoting regional development and stability, the parliamentary press service said.

Gashi underscored North Macedonia’s commitment as a NATO member and underlined the crucial role of U.S. leadership in maintaining Euro-Atlantic security, especially in the Western Balkans.

During his visit, Parliament Speaker Gashi also met with directors of international organizations that have long assisted in strengthening democratic processes and institutional development of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia, namely IRI and NDI representatives.

During the meeting with Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Stephen Nix, IRI’s senior director for Europe and Eurasia, discussions focused on current cooperation and the strategic dialogue between North Macedonia and the U.S.

At the meeting with Tamara Wittes, President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and Scott Bates, NDI’s Regional Director for Europe and Asia, they discussed the value of the long-term cooperation between the Parliament and NDI. Gashi thanked the initiatives focused on enhancing parliamentary independence and capacity, advancing digitalization and transparency, and improving citizen engagement, including the Parliamentary Support Program, which has produced tangible results over the years.

At the meetings, Gashi praised U.S. partners’ continuous support for democratic standards and reiterated the commitment of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia to deepen cooperation to strengthen democracy, stability and citizen representation.
Gashi was joined by the Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Antonio Miloshoski and the government delegation, consisting of Ministers Stefan Andonovski and Zlatko Perinski, along with the Government’s Secretary-General Igor Janushev.

As part of the visit, Gashi will attend the National Prayer Breakfast and will address the Security Forum at the U.S. Congress, which will be attended by leaders from European countries and representatives of the U.S. Congress and to take part in a panel discussion at the Balkans Forward Summit, organised by the Atlantic Council, the parliamentary press service said.

Photo: Parliament