WFD is dedicated to building strong relationships worldwide, and to helping facilitate the exchange of experiences between the UK and partners. In North Macedonia, WFD has built a successful, long-standing partnership with the Assembly of North Macedonia.  

As part of this collaboration, WFD organised a two-day visit to the UK Parliament for a delegation from the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, led by Speaker Afrim Gashi. This visit marked the first official delegation visit from the Macedonian Assembly to the UK Parliament.

During the visit, Speaker Gashi met with the UK Speaker of the House of Commons and WFD’s Patron, Lindsay Hoyle, to discuss strengthening parliamentary ties.  

At the meeting, Speaker Gashi praised the excellent political and economic relations between the two countries and stressed the commitment to nurturing the long-standing partnership reflected through strong and courageous relations. He also expressed gratitude for the UK’s ongoing support for North Macedonia’s EU integration and the strong alliance in the NATO.

The delegation also participated in key discussions with several UK Parliament figures including the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg; Defence Committee Chair, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi; key UK MPs laying the foundations for establishing a new Group for Cooperation between UK and North Macedonia; and the Clerk of the House of Commons, Thomas Goldsmith.

The exchange helped build the relationship between the parliaments of UK and North Macedonia, while also providing the delegation with a deeper understanding of the UK parliamentary system, its structure, and its mechanisms for oversight and scrutiny.

During the visit, Speaker Gashi and the delegation members emphasised the importance of the Macedonian Assembly's cooperation with WFD, highlighting the numerous projects that have strengthened the work of both MPs and the parliamentary service.