PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER Speaker of the House of Representatives holds bilateral meetings with Speaker of North Macedonia

In the margins of the 14th Plenary Session of the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace held in Skopje, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta, Dr Anġlu Farrugia, held an official bilateral meeting with his North Macedonian counterpart, Afrim Gashi.

During the cordial meeting, the two Speakers discussed the strong and friendly bilateral relations between Malta and North Macedonia, while exploring avenues to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries, particularly through parliamentary diplomacy and enhanced institutional collaboration.

The discussions also focused on the promotion of global tolerance, dialogue, and peace, with particular reference to the current challenges facing Europe and the Middle East. Both Speakers emphasised the important role of parliaments in fostering mutual understanding, promoting stability, and encouraging constructive international cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges.

Dr Farrugia expressed his appreciation to Speaker Gashi for the warm hospitality extended to the Maltese delegation during their visit to North Macedonia and reaffirmed Malta's commitment towards initiatives aimed at strengthening peace, tolerance, and intercultural dialogue at the international level.

During the course of the day, Speaker Farrugia also met with the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. The meeting further underlined the excellent relations between Malta and North Macedonia and provided an opportunity to exchange views on the importance of dialogue, tolerance and peace in today's international context.

The Speaker was accompanied by Ambassador Joseph Cole.