Tuesday, 1 September 2020
MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT XHAFERI AND H.E. RACHEL GALLOWAY, AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Today, the President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, met with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Republic of North Macedonia, H.E. Rachel Galloway. The meeting was on the occasion of the re-election of President Xhaferi as President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as the election of the new Government, meaning that full functioning of the highest state institutions in the country is established.
President Xhaferi highlighted the exceptional bilateral relations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the United Kingdom, and expressed expectation that they will continue with increased dynamics in the coming period. He informed that the committees, delegations and parliamentary groups for bilateral cooperation are to be formed in the forthcoming period, and increased joint work of MPs from both the ruling majority and opposition, especially in anticipation of the start of negotiations with the European Union is expected. At the same time, faced with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, all together will have to consensually create rules of procedure that would enable the Assembly work remotely, especially for remote voting, seeing that the uncertainty with the pandemic in the upcoming autumn and winter months is high and will require the availability of all capacities for dealing with these risks; as well as the adoption of temporary rules for the work of the Assembly in a state of emergency.
President Xhaferi, referring to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, said that the Assembly is available to quickly ratify all revised trade and economic agreements between our country and the United Kingdom, so that foreign trade can take place smoothly. In the context of cooperation with NATO, the Republic of North Macedonia, as its newest member state will cooperate with its British counterparts on an equal footing, contributing to collective stability and global security. The President of the Assembly assessed the current cooperation with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy as very successful, emphasizing that all started projects continue with undiminished dynamics.
Ambassador Galloway briefed on the new working conditions in the British Parliament, imposed by the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the possibility for British MPs to work and vote remotely. President Xhaferi stressed that the main focus of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia will be the Negotiation Strategy with the European Union which is expected to be prepared by the Government, as well as the economic measures and the education system during COVID-19. Ambassador Galloway offered concrete assistance and support in this area, in terms of sharing and using experiences. She expressed positive expectation from the future fulfillment of the projects between the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. At the same time, she stressed the support to the new Assembly and Government, emphasizing the need for the further mutual building of good and correct relations between the government and the opposition.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the current political developments in the country, the activities of the Assembly and the Government in the context of focusing on the challenges of the pandemic and adapting citizens lives to the new situation, the government-opposition dialogue as a key imperative of democracy, opportunities for promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation and sharing common experiences from foreign policy and parliamentary diplomacy.