Skopje, 28 June 2022 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met with Members of European Parliament (MEPs), members of the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee participating at the 19th meeting of this joint body for parliamentary dialogue. Sonja Mirakovska as co-chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Cvetanka Ivanova, Secretary General of Parliament, also attended the meeting. Speaker Xhaferi thanked the European Parliament for its continuous political will and commitment to the political future of the countries of the Western Balkans and expressed his hope that the 19th meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee will be an excellent opportunity for MPs to exchange opinions about the most important aspects of mutual relations and contribute to the strengthening of the mutual partnership. He said that even though North Macedonia fulfilled its European integration conditions, confirmed with the European Council decision of March 2020 for unconditional start to the accession negotiations, it did not happen due to the Bulgarian veto. He did, however, express his hope that an agreement could be reached from what’s already on the table, and solve bilateral issues bilaterally, his office said in a press release. Emphasizing that the EU is based on respect for everyone, Xhaferi said the solution should be sought in that direction, reiterating that the country has fully harmonized its foreign and security policy with the EU, achieving a high degree of harmonizing the legislature with the European law, but also that public support is significantly dropping due to the delay of the start of negotiations. MEP Irena Joveva said the European Parliament fully supports the start of negotiations and is hopeful that it will happen soon. She said that she is the president of the Group of Friends of the Republic of North Macedonia in the European Parliament, complimenting the reform implementation in the country while emphasizing the importance for political dialogue and communications with the public. Ilhan Kyuchyuk, North Macedonia Rapporteur in the European Parliament, complimented the Parliament’s work and the harmonization of the country’s foreign policy with the one of the EU in regards to the sanctions against Russia, emphasizing that EU partners hold Xhaferi’s visit to Kiev in high regard. He also emphasized the importance for political parties to cooperate when it comes to the country’s strategic interests, such as European integration, reads the press release.