Turkish FM meets business community, politicians in N Macedonia

SKOPJE

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, engaged with various members of the business community, politicians, and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) during his visit to North Macedonia on Thursday.

His visit included meetings with the Turkish community in Skopje, as reported by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on X.

In Skopje, Fidan held discussions with members of the VLEN Coalition, which included Izet Meciti, the First Deputy Prime Minister; Bilal Kasami, Mayor of Tetovo and Leader of the BESA Movement; Zekeriya Ibrahimi, Leader of Alternativa and Alliance for Albanians MP; and Halil Snopce, according to the ministry.

He also met with Salih Murat, a member of the North Macedonia Assembly, at the Turkish Embassy in Skopje.

Fidan also welcomed Beycan İlyas, President of the Democratic Party of Turks of North Macedonia, and Erdoğan Saraç, President of the Movement for National Unity of the Turks.

Reflecting on his visit, Fidan emphasized the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and political connections between Türkiye and North Macedonia.

"We conducted numerous high-level discussions in North Macedonia, a friendly and allied nation with which we share a deep-rooted history and robust humanitarian ties," he posted on X.

Fidan underscored the "unshakeable" relationship between the two countries, affirming Türkiye's commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Balkans.

Türkiye, noted for being the first country to recognize North Macedonia by its constitutional name and appoint an ambassador to Skopje, continues to strengthen the ties bietween two nations.

Additionally, during his visit to Skopje, Fidan met with North Macedonia’s Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, Foreign Minister, Timco Mucunski, and Parliament Speaker, Afrim Gashi. The visit follows his attendance at the South-East European Cooperation Process Summit in June, where he met with North Macedonia’s President, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.