Wednesday, 1 November 2017
Meeting of the President Xhaferi and H.E. Dan Orian, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Macedonia
The President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Talat Xhaferi met Mr. Dan Orian, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Macedonia, who, together with 90 businessmen from Israel participates in “Macedonia 2025” Conference, where the best woman innovator of Israel Dana Gabish shall address.
At the beginning of the Meeting, the Ambassador underlined the potential for cooperation between the two friendly states, the Republic of Macedonia and the State of Israel, informing on the expectations of the President of the Knesset for deepening the cooperation between the two Parliaments. This cooperation can surpass the usual format of the parliamentary cooperation and emphasise the strengthening of the economic diplomacy, sustainability, strengthen the rule of law - areas which the Knesset has experience in which can be the shared with our Assembly.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Talat Xhaferi expressed pleasure from the meeting and underlined that as former Minister of Defence he paid great attention to the cooperation with Israel, in the area of defence and opening the pilot training centre and modernisation of the aviation. He also underlined the openness and readiness of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia for parliamentary cooperation in all aspects and levels since the parliamentary diplomacy demonstrated to be lenient and free from formal limitations, which traces the path for easier establishment of the communication. In regard with the deportation if the Jews, Mr. Xhaferi stated that the Republic of Macedonia through the opening of the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Skopje demonstrated and confirmed the selfless respect towards the victims of this terror.
Ambassador Orian informed the President Xhaferi on the preparations for marking two important jubilees, 70 years of the State of Israel and 75 years since the deportation of the Jews from the Republic of Macedonia to Treblinka. The Commemoration will be marked by a special exhibition in the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Skopje as well as other events under the motto “March of the Living”, held in Bitola, on 11 March 2018, through a 2km long march of citizens, representatives of the civil society, MPs, Ministers, politicians from Israel and Macedonia, paying respect to the victims - 7144 Jews. The Ambassador conveyed a special invitation to the President of the Assembly to participate in the March. President Xhaferi gladly accepted the invitation and supported the event as well as the overall project, on personal behalf and on behalf of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia.
President Xhaferi proposed some of the planned activities to be realized in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia – special exhibition as well as realization of the visit for group of students from Israel to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as meeting and discussion with the President of the Assembly; projection of movies through the direct broadcast of the Parliamentary Channel for all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia on 27 January – International Day of the Holocaust. In this manner, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia shall pay its respect to the victims of the Holocaust and demonstrate its rightful and just standpoint towards to the historic events.
In the context of raising the level of mutual relations, Mr. Xhaferi underlined that this Commemoration can also be seized as opportunity for reciprocal visit of the President of the Knesset, the Parliamentary Group for Cooperation to the Republic of Macedonia, which will provide a strong message and mark the high level of mutual cooperation.
The interlocutors shared the mutual conviction for future constructive and intensive cooperation.