Skopje, 2 June 2023 (MIA) - On the sidelines of the Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments of NATO member countries in Vilnius, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met Friday with the first Vice-President of the French National Assembly, Valérie Rabault, at her request.

Xhaferi expressed his satisfaction with the dynamics of meetings between the political representatives of the two countries. He welcomed the re-affirmed commitment of France to the region, in accordance with the strategy for the EU integration in the Western Balkans, which unequivocally confirms the strategic orientation for full EU membership of our countries. She was informed about the current developments in the field of European integration in the country, as well as the activities undertaken to help and support Ukraine, its institutions and its citizens.

Vice-President Rabault welcomed the holding of this meeting, especially after the messages sent by President Xhaferi in his address to the meeting, for greater unification and joint action within NATO. It was underlined that this cooperation should be complemented with the objectives of the European Union, especially considering how much has been achieved in the past year in strengthening its strategic autonomy. On her part, President Macron's concept for the development of the European Union and the advancement of the EU integration path of the candidate countries was underscored, and support was expressed for the next steps that should be taken in the Republic of North Macedonia to continue with the process of negotiations for EU membership, parliament said in a press release. 

The interlocutors agreed that the cooperation between the two parliaments should continue through the Friendship and Cooperation Groups and be promoted in the future. President Xhaferi initiated raising the cooperation to a higher level, of presidents of parliaments, by making bilateral visits to Skopje and Paris this year, with his colleague in the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet.