Skopje, 15 February 2024 (MIA) - Caretaker Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski, Deputy Minister Nazim Bushi and additional Deputy Minister Mitko Bojmacaliev held Thursday a working meeting with the British Ambassador to North Macedonia Matthew Lawson, the Ministry of Interior said in a press release. 

Minister Toshkovski highlighted deepening of cooperation between the police authorities of the two countries, towards more effective action in suppressing international threats to public safety and combating international crime. He particularly stressed more efficient and effective fight against organized crime.

"Minister Toshkovski briefed Ambassador Lawson on the functioning of the Ministry of Interior in the caretaker Government, highlighting its major responsibility in conducting the upcoming elections. In that regard, the Interior Ministry's role is to act legally and professionally in organizing and conducting a fair and democratic election process. In that context, Minister Toshkovski pointed to the impossibility to appoint a head of the Tetovo police in accordance with the law, which violates the possibility of being a guarantor of the election process for that area," reads the press release. 

 
Toshkovski explained the measures taken in order to ease the procedure for the replacement of personal documents, so that citizens can obtain their documents in a dignified way. In that context, he pointed to observing legal procedures regarding the validity period of travel documents, in order to protect human rights in terms of free movement of citizens.

Ambassador Lawson stressed the Ministry's role as a guarantor for safe, fair and democratic elections.

"In addition, he welcomed the successful bilateral cooperation, highlighting current projects in terms of increasing the capacities of the Macedonian police and promoting operational cooperation in the area of organized crime," the press release adds.   

Additional Deputy Minister Bojmacaliev extended gratitude for the cooperation with the United Kingdom so far, noting that the Ministry of Interior in the current composition of the caretaker Government operates for the time being professionally and legally, without political influences, thus reaffirming the commitment to organize fair and democratic elections.

Photo: MoI