Skopje, 22 September 2022 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski met Thursday with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. PM Kovachevski expressed his gratitude for the engagement of the UN in the Republic of North Macedonia, saying that the cooperation will continue with increased intensity, especially in the implementation of the 2021-2025 strategic sustainable development goals. During their meeting, Kovachevski said that the engagement of the UN in the Republic of North Macedonia is very important for strengthening the country's capacities in key sectors and advancing reforms, the government said in a press release. He voiced hope that the cooperation with the UN will continue in the future with the aim of providing support for our development goals in the context of country’s European integration process. “Reforms in the areas of good governance, the fight against corruption, reforms in the judicial system, as well as the strengthening of social cohesion, will be the country's priorities. The ultimate goal of the Government is to introduce significant changes in the lives of its citizens, to improve the legislation, to strengthen the capacities and efficiency of the institutions,” PM Kovachevski said. At the meeting, our strong commitment to strengthening the role of the UN in dealing with global challenges such as Russian aggression against Ukraine, climate change and food shortages was reaffirmed. “The Government of North Macedonia is fully committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, which refers to the UN's sustainable development goals and its integration into national strategic documents and plans. PM Kovachevski expressed interest in increased engagement of our country in the United Nations peacekeeping operations. Kovachevski underlined that the Republic of North Macedonia is an active partner of the international counter-terrorist coalitions and will continue to contribute to the international efforts to fight terrorism,” reads the press release. Additional proof of our engagement in strengthening peace and stability, PM Kovachevski added, is North Macedonia’s OSCE Chairmanship next year, for which we are intensively preparing at a time of great instability caused by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. “As OSCE Chair, North Macedonia will use all the resources and mechanisms of this organization, with the aim of reducing tensions and establishing channels of communication and critical dialogue. The talks also focused on the Prespa Agreement which was assessed as an example that had positive impact on the bilateral and regional development of the Republic of North Macedonia and Greece, whose implementation was widely regarded as a historical act,” reads the press release. PM Kovachevski expressed satisfaction with the recent start of the screening process within the EU accession negotiations, reaffirming our strong commitment to reform processes on the EU path.