Skopje, 16 February 2023 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi, who is paying an official visit to Slovenia, met Thursday with counterpart Urška Klakočar Zupančič, reaffirming the close friendly relations and the fruitful, decade-long cooperation between the two parliaments in all areas.

Speaker Xhaferi expressed his gratitude for Slovenia's unreserved and proactive support for the fulfilment of North Macedonia's top national priorities – NATO and EU membership, the Parliament said in a press release.

Xhaferi referred to the current activities on a domestic level, especially the screening process and the procedure for the adoption of the constitutional amendments. On an international level, the Speaker spoke about North Macedonia's support for Ukraine, the Chairmanship of OSCE and the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the country's planned contribution for the advancement and promotion of their goals, principles and values.

Speaker Zupančič called for intensification of the cooperation between the two parliaments and countries, especially at a time of global crises, citing the pandemic, the military, energy and economic crises as issues that call for a necessary joint action.

At the same time, she expressed her full support for the Euro-integration process of North Macedonia and the continuation of Slovenia’s commitments for negotiations to be led exclusively on a reform basis, by harmonizing the domestic legislation with the European Acquis and by marginalizing bilateral and historical issues in the process. To that end, she welcomed the efforts for the resumption of the necessary steps in the Macedonian Parliament for the opening of the clusters and chapters during the accession talks.

Xhaferi and Zupančič agreed to resume cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, at the level of speakers on a bilateral level, but also within the frameworks of international parliamentary assemblies and initiatives, and at the level of parliamentary groups for cooperation and friendship, with a focus on the Slovenian experience during the EU accession process, reads the press release. ad/ik/