Skopje, 7 September 2022 (MIA) - The diplomats Agron Buxhaku and Driton Kuçi, nominated for ambassadors to Canada and Norway respectively, on Wednesday presented their diplomatic priorities before the Parliament's Foreign Policy Committee. Buxhaku said his diplomatic mission in Canada will focus on strengthening and improving bilateral relations, enhancing bilateral cooperation, especially economic and cultural cooperation. 2021 recorded EUR 9.5 million in trade with Canada, he added. "Canada is one of the countries recording the largest number of our expats. Estimates suggest that there are nearly 150,000 people originating from North Macedonia," he said vowing he will focus on internal cohesion of the diaspora there to become more interested into their homeland. Buxhaku also vowed he will work on strengthening relations in defense with the two countries being NATO allies. Driton Kuçi, nominated to be deployed as ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway, presenting his priorities said that although Norway is not in the EU, it is actively engaged in promoting European policies and its system of values, and as a NATO member, it is actively engaged in applying and spreading the security policies of the Alliance. "Having established diplomatic relations in 1993, the ties between the two countries have been improving, characterized by a friendly spirit of cooperation, friendship and joint commitment to constant improvement. I will aim at strengthening bilateral and economic cooperation by attracting foreign direct investments into the country and inviting our companies to the Norwegian market," Kuçi said. After terminating Wednesday's session, the Foreign Policy Committee is yet to schedule another one in which the nominated ambassador to Belgium, Metodija Belevski, is to present his diplomatic priorities. On Tuesday, Ambassador Evgenija Ilieva, who will be the head of the diplomatic mission in Slovakia, presented her priorities before the Foreign Policy Committee. In late July, North Macedonia's Ambassador to the United States, Zoran Popov presented his platform at a closed session before MPs holding security clearances due to the confidential character of the information he presented. Ambassador Ilieva presented her platform at an open session. Being a representative of the Foreign Ministry, she asked for the session to be open after it was established that there is no quorum for work because some committee members have no security clearances, which is a condition for them to attend a closed session.