Skopje, 2 June 2023 (MIA) - We have no other alternative but to continue to fight and safeguard the system of rule of law over the system of rule of force and changing our borders by use of force, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said Friday addressing the Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments of NATO member countries in Vilnius.

Our battle, Xhaferi said, must decisively continue through strengthening of the existing partnerships and search for new, creative partnerships and alliances with states and organisations that still believe in the world founded on democratic and liberal values their protection for long-standing sustainability and resilience to these negative processes. We, as representatives of our people, are left with responsibility to continue to promote the faith, the rightness of multilateralism as the only mechanism that ensures peace and prosperity in the world.

He noted that the country, by fulfilling its strategic goal - joining NATO, managed to protect independence, territorial integrity, the inviolability of internationally recognized borders, but also to promote good-neighbour policy and stability in the wider region.

“My country, the Republic of North Macedonia, is an example of a country that was an importer and today is an exporter of peace, an active partner and contributor to the Alliance. Our commitments to contribute to global peace and security are a guide for our institutions, for their continuous preparation of capacities and abilities to participate in the international missions and operations of NATO, but also of the European Union and the United Nations,” Xhaferi said.

He pointed out that the new global security and geopolitical trends carry threats to the security of states, which require the building of appropriate response mechanisms and more comprehensive action by all stakeholders.

Changes in the security environment, Xhaferi pointed out, do not allow threats to be perceived separately, as before, but require the modernization of capacities and readiness for decisive action. Here I would particularly single out the growing impacts of third countries, migration flows and climate change, pandemics, hybrid threats, fake news and disinformation, the fragility of supply systems, the dependence on strategically important resources and artificial intelligence.

According to Xhaferi, today we are unfortunately witnessing different concepts of the application and functioning of multilateralism, as well as the introduction of new models of alternative democracy. Such systems of regulation, he noted, provide themselves with internal legal guarantees for unrestricted rule, for justified demonization of political opponents, denial and criminalization of freedom of speech. Among the instruments they use to challenge the global democratic political landscape are hybrid threats, fake news and disinformation that directly affect the security of our societies, all without the use of army or military weapons, he said.

“Our region of the Western Balkans is a living witness of these activities, especially in the last decade. I am personally convinced that so far, we have successfully dealt with the problems and that in the history of the Alliance, we have never been more united for its survival and the promotion of its values and opportunities on the global political and security scene. In this complex multipolar world, which is caused by globalization and multilateralism, he added, as states and politicians we must act quickly and prevent this kind of fragmentation, because it poses a serious threat to the whole world,” Xhaferi said in his speech.

The meeting is attended by Parliament Speakers from NATO member states, the head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam, the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Baiba Braže, and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, Parliament said in a press release.

The discussion at the meeting are split in three panels: Global challenges, global partners, global NATO; Internal transformation: raising defence expenses, strengthening response and defence forces; Strong and independent Ukraine: plan for long-term support for Ukraine.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the participants are expected to attend a demonstrative meeting of the NATO Enhance Forward Presence battle group.

Xhaferi’s delegation includes MPs Mile Talevski, Dragan Kovachki and Vjolca Ademi.

Photo: Parliament of North Macedonia