President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova received the Letters of Credence of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Commonwealth of Australia, resident in Belgrade, Peter George Truswell.
Noting that the Macedonian diaspora, as one of the largest, is a highly valued segment of the Australian family, the Ambassador indicated that Macedonians in Australia are a living bridge between the two countries. In the future, he said, he will work on strengthening economic relations, as well as investment ventures.
The large Macedonian diaspora in Australia, which is successfully integrated and actively participates in the Australian multicultural society, agreed the President, is the core of the strong Australian-Macedonian bond. According to her, the Australian economy offers huge opportunities for partnership in information technology, renewable energy sources and infrastructure development, and our country has an excellent strategic location in the Balkans, a qualified workforce and a favorable business climate for Australian investors and companies.
Siljanovska-Davkova recognizes opportunities for cooperation on multilateral level, especially within the United Nations and other international forums, where together the two countries can contribute to solving global challenges: climate change, sustainable development and the fight against terrorism.
Speaking about the long, thorny path of Macedonian European integration, the President informed the Ambassador about all the obstacles that the country has faced and is still facing. The Ambassador expressed unreserved support for our European aspirations, even though Australia is not a member of the EU.
The President expressed particular satisfaction with the re-establishment of the parliamentary group for cooperation (Friendship Group in the Australian Parliament for Cooperation with Members of Parliament from the Macedonian Parliament). For her, the opening of a resident Australian embassy in Skopje will contribute to strengthening Australian activity in the country, but also in the region. Wishing the Ambassador a successful term, she said that she would be happy to visit Australia and our people living there.
