Thursday, 9 January 2020
PRESIDENT XHAFERI MEETS WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, H.E. HASAN MEHMET SEKIZKÖK
The President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, met today with the newly appointed Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of North Macedonia, HE. Hasan Mehmet Sekizkök.
President Xhaferi wished the Ambassador success in carrying out the responsible diplomatic mission and expressed satisfaction with the high level bilateral relations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Turkey, especially the fruitful cooperation between the two parliaments. Underscoring the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, President Xhaferi emphasized the mutual support within the international assemblies, in particular the NATO Parliamentary Assemblies and the South East European Cooperation Process. He also assessed the cooperation of the two countries in the field of defence as very important, stressing that our troops are part of the Turkish contingent in NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. At the same time, he thanked for the swift ratification of the NATO Accession Protocol of the Republic of North Macedonia by the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey.
The President informed the Ambassador that the Draft Law on the Rights of Communities which are less than 20% of the population in the Republic of North Macedonia and which aims to improve the implementation of the rights and use of the languages of the communities, including the Turkish community in this country is currently in parliamentary procedure. 
The Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of North Macedonia, H.E. Hasan Mehmet Sekizkök noted that Turkey sees North Macedonia as an important and valued partner, while the historical and cultural ties bring the two countries even closer together. He noted that the Turkish community in the Republic of North Macedonia, which makes a significant contribution to a successful multiethnic life, contributes greatly to the deepening of mutual relations. He pledged to boost mutual economic cooperation, stressing there is a bigger investment potential for Turkish companies in North Macedonia, given the contractual situation of more than 100 bilateral agreements covering numerous areas of common interest.
The interlocutors agreed that the continuation and deepening of the excellent cooperation between the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey can greatly contribute to the promotion of the overall bilateral relations and friendship between the two countries.