The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, H.E. Shalva Papuashvili, met with the President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, Afrim Gashi.

The parties positively assessed Afrim Gashi's official bilateral visit to Georgia, which took place alongside his participation in the PABSEC Plenary Session.

Shalva Papuashvili thanked the North Macedonian side for its support for Georgia's territorial integrity and underscored the importance of upholding the principles of international law.

Afrim Gashi stated that his visit marks an important milestone in relations between the two countries.

According to him, the peoples of Georgia and North Macedonia should become better acquainted with one another. He emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation so that people in North Macedonia can gain a greater understanding of Georgia's rich history, traditions, and culture.

The parties also discussed the two countries' relations with the European Union.

Afrim Gashi spoke about North Macedonia's European integration process and the challenges it currently faces. He noted that, in order to move forward with future decisions, North Macedonia expects a more concrete and predictable accession process from the European Union.

He also stated that the primary objective of the European integration process should be to improve the well-being of citizens and that the implementation of European Union standards should be aimed at enhancing people's quality of life.

Shalva Papuashvili briefed his North Macedonian counterpart on Georgia–EU relations, noting that Georgia continues to successfully implement the Association Agreement.

He also highlighted Georgia's growing economy and the declining rates of unemployment and poverty. It was noted that, given the two countries' shared aspiration to join the European Union, it is important to exchange experience and provide mutual support.

The parties expressed their readiness to continue discussions through the parliamentary friendship groups and the relevant sectoral committees.

Afrim Gashi invited Shalva Papuashvili to pay a visit to North Macedonia.

The meeting was also attended by the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament Ilia Injia, Vice-Speaker Nino Tsilosani, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chair of the Parliamentary Georgia-North Macedonia Friendship Group Levan Makhashvili, and Deputy Chair of the parliamentary political group People's Power, Eka Sepashvili.