Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani on Monday held a phone call with his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Søreide, extending gratitude for Norway’s continued support to promoting North Macedonia’s European integration, by supporting the administrative and legislative capacities necessary for the negotiation process with the European Union.

Osmani pointed out that Norway is one of the largest donors of bilateral aid, which is extremely important in the transformation of North Macedonia into a democratic society, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

Talks also tackled the Government’s strong commitment to the implementation of the reform agenda, necessary to accelerate the European integration of the country. Also in focus was the close multilateral cooperation and joint participation of the two countries within peace-keeping missions. In this regard, Osmani extended congratulations on the election of Norway as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, adding that this was a great opportunity to strengthen its contribution to multilateralism.

“Today, the Republic of North Macedonia is a NATO member and a country with an EU perspective, which significantly contributes to stability and security in the region,” Osmani pointed out.

FM Søreide extended congratulations on North Macedonia’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2023, as well as the country’s commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

In addition, the two exchanged views, proposals and suggestions on exploiting the potentials for economic cooperation despite the geographical distance. The phone call also discussed the health crisis and the socio-economic effects of the pandemic, as well as regional and international developments.