Skopje, 24 September 2021 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met Friday in Budapest with Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Kover, at the sidelines of the 10th meeting of the Speakers of Parliament from Southeast Europe dedicated to enlargement. Speaker Xhaferi said the meeting was significant for SEE states considering its continuity and the political support through the signing of a joint statement that sends a strong message on the position of the Visegrad countries regarding the European Union membership of regional countries, his Office said in a press release. Xhaferi briefed Kover on North Macedonia’s activities after its NATO accession and the current status of the European integration process and the relations with Bulgaria. He also thanked Hungary for its support in the migrant management at the country’s southern border, thus protecting the EU’s external border. Kover highlighted Hungary’s support to North Macedonia’s European integration, adding that Skopje should have been ahead in the process much earlier, whereas the EU should have stopped certain steps that have contributed to the stagnation of this process. The Hungarian Speaker finds the involvement of regional countries in the Conference on the Future of Europe very important, considering there are many differences between the European centre-left and centre-right on the Union’s future functioning. Therefore, the voice of SEE countries could help bring these positions closer. Interlocutors agreed on the excellent high-level bilateral relations and the joint initiatives for enhancement of cooperation in many fields, primarily in economy, since trade exchange has risen by 38 percent over the past couple of years, reads the press release.