Friday, 11 September 2020
MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT XHAFERI AND THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR HOLSTEIN
Today, the President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, met with the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of North Macedonia, Н.Е. Anke Gisela Holstein.
President Xhaferi expressed gratitude to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Embassy in Skopje for the overall support and assistance to the health institutions in the Republic of North Macedonia to deal with the pandemic and expressed hope that despite the challenges, the two countries will continue to cooperate in all areas of mutual interest, including parliamentary cooperation.
Regarding our Euro-Atlantic integration, President Xhaferi stressed that the country, as a NATO member, continues to fulfill its membership obligations and that with the expected start of EU membership negotiations by the end of this year, within the German Presidency of the EU Council, state institutions and Parliament will play a key role in implementing all reform processes. Also, the joint presidency with Bulgaria within the Berlin Process this year opens opportunities for advancing cooperation and for support of the European integration of the countries in the region. 
Ambassador Holstein congratulated on his re-election as President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, seeing it as proof of the successful work in the previous term, with the expectation of continuing the good cooperation in this parliamentary composition as well. She expressed regrets about the postponement of the IPS parliamentary scholarship due to the pandemic, hoping it would continue next year.
Regarding the economic cooperation and the increased number of qualified people leaving for work in the Federal Republic of Germany, Ambassador Holstein stressed that the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia must find modalities to engage young people in the country and prevent the brain drain, especially after opening the membership negotiations. Accession to the European Union is a complex process and therefore parliamentary parties should leave party interests aside and unite around priority issues, Holstein concluded.