Wednesday, 2 June 2021
FAREWELL MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT XHAFERI AND H.E. STEWART
The President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi had a farewell meeting today with the Ambassador of Australia to the Republic of North Macedonia based in Belgrade, Н.Е. Ruth Caris Stewart.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Xhaferi expressed gratitude for the engagement of the ambassador, wishing her success on a personal level and in future institutional positions. He welcomed the continued friendly bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels, with no open issues, as well as the mutual cooperation within the multilateral organizations, which due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not maintain the planned dynamics. President Xhaferi highlighted that fostering ties with the diaspora, which is one of Australia's five largest communities, could enhance opportunities for economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in education, tourism, culture and other areas of mutual interest for both countries.
Ambassador Stewart noted that the pandemic affected the intensity of mutual bilateral communication and expressed condolences to the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia who lost members of their families to the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, she thanked the Republic of North Macedonia for its support to Australia and its management of fires in 2020, which is another proof that although the countries are geographically distant, it does not prevent them from cooperating with each other, especially if they share common values.
Ambassador Stewart welcomed the functionality of the Assembly and the representation of different political parties, which share different opinions, but act together in their work. She welcomed the initiative of students from the Republic of North Macedonia to study and shape their education in Australia, hoping that this number will increase in the future. Finally, she reiterated Australia's support for the achieved membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in NATO and for its expected future membership in the European Union.