9 February 2022 Skopje – Representatives of ministries of foreign affairs of North Macedonia and Bulgaria will meet February 10-11 to discuss open political issues between the two countries, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Wednesday. Skopje – In regard to the Goce Delchev declaration, filed by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE to the parliament last week, the government told MIA that the parliament had already adopted a resolution establishing national positions in the ongoing talks with Bulgaria. Goce Delchev is non-negotiable and the government considers unnecessary to adopt such a declaration. Skopje — Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj met Wednesday with Swedish Ambassador to the country Kristin Forsgren Bengtsson to discuss the priorities of the Secretariat for European Affairs in the near future, the results of ongoing reforms, and possible ways to strengthen cooperation based on the Agreement on Cooperation in Development between the Republic of North Macedonia and the Kingdom of Sweden, a press release from the Secretariat said. Skopje – Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani spoke Wednesday with U.S. Department of State Counselor Derek Cohllet over the phone, following the latter’s visit to Bulgaria and the new momentum in the Skopje-Sofia dialogue amid the undertaken steps in building mutual trust and overcoming bilateral challenges. Skopje – Clear and strong support for the European perspective of North Macedonia was expressed at a meeting Wednesday of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski with Croatian Ambassador Nives Tiganj. Skopje – North Macedonia and Croatia have been building excellent, friendly relations in all fields for three decades. The defence cooperation is strong and intensive, notably in the field of military education and training of the members of the Army in the Croatian military schools, concluded Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska and Croatian Ambassador Nives Tiganj during their Wednesday’s meeting. Skopje – Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski met Wednesday with Swiss Ambassador Véronique Hulmann, who expressed satisfaction from the excellent bilateral cooperation in the sector of home affairs and in general. Skopje – Employees at “Textile Solution”, and the company itself will practically experience the benefits of the agreement achieved on the minimum wage increase to Mden 18,000, which will enable 80,000 workers in the country, including the employees in this company, to improve their living standard, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said during Wednesday’s visit to the company alongside the Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Jovanka Trenchevska. Skopje – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski told reporters on Wednesday that VMRO-DPMNE was against the law on minimum wage, and switched to “in favor” after social partners had reached the agreement. Skopje – Increase of the minimum wage and the Government’s inaction to for scaled increase of other salaries will result in what the Union of workers in administration, judiciary and civic associations (UPOZ) said would happen – a collapse of the salary system in administration and judiciary, said UPOZ president Trpe Deanoski on Wednesday. Skopje – The police seized yesterday 1.6 tonnes of narcotics worth EUR 3,2 million in two operations in the areas of Strumica and Resen, the Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday. Skopje – A group of sixteen Afghans departed for Canada from North Macedonia on Wednesday morning after being taken in since fleeing Afghanistan. Skopje — Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska met Wednesday with the Swedish Ambassador to North Macedonia, Kristin Forsgren Bengtsson, and talked about the support Sweden has given to the country — especially toward promoting gender equality and helping socially vulnerable citizens — as well as related government policies and their implementation. Skopje – North Macedonia and France have established close and fruitful defence cooperation and the countries are committed to strengthening it, concluded Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska and French Ambassador Cyrille Baumgartner during their joint meeting on Wednesday. Skopje – State of ongoing reforms and future steps in the field of judiciary, protection of fundamental human rights, including media freedom, and fight against corruption and organized crime were in the focus of a meeting between Justice Minister Nikola Tupancheski and EU Ambassador David Geer on Wednesday. Veles – Deinstitutionalisation resumes, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska said Wednesday in Veles where she inaugurated an assisted living unit that accommodates five former patients of the Demir Kapija institution for people with special needs. Skopje – All governments in the region remain committed to the construction and rehabilitation of the railway corridors, said Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski ahead of the first meeting of the Network of Infrastructure Managers in the Western Balkans, organized by the Transport Community Secretariat in Skopje on Wednesday. Tetovo – Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi handed over Wednesday the commercial occupancy permit to the new plant of U.S. company “Lear and Normak Investment Group” in the Tetovo technological-industrial development zone. The investment is worth EUR 15 million, opening 1,000-1.500 new jobs. Tetovo – Since declaring a state of energy crisis, North Macedonia has successfully managed the situation and spent far less compared to other neighboring countries, said Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi on Wednesday. Skopje – For the majority of the export-oriented companies in the countries in the region, i.e. 96.4 percent of them, the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative could open up opportunities to improve their work and economic growth, according to the first quantitative and qualitative research “Perception of Export-Oriented Companies in North Macedonia on the ‘Open Balkan’ Initiative”, conducted by the Analytica think tank. Skopje – The Youth Cultural Center (MKC) in Skopje said it has selected a work by graphic designer Milan Dimitriev aiming to create a visual identity and recognition of the 50 Years of MKC event. Bratislava – Slovakian lawmakers narrowly passed a controversial defence pact with the US on Wednesday that allows Washington to strengthen its presence in the country by expanding two military airports. Berlin — The number of coronavirus infections detected worldwide has risen to more than 400 million since the pandemic began, according to the latest data. Moscow – The Kremlin has spoken positively of French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to mediate in the Ukraine conflict, with government spokesman Dmitry Peskov praising his commitment to a stalled peace plan. Paris – The main defendant in the November 2015 Paris attacks trial has justified the carnage that left over 130 people dead as a response to French military action against Islamic State in Syria, but said he did not kill anyone.