President Stevo Pendarovski received today the letters of credence of Giles Norman, the newly appointed Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of North Macedonia, resident in Belgrade.
At the ceremony of presenting the credentials, President Pendarovski stressed that North Macedonia and Canada have traditionally been linked by friendship and mutual understanding. Marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Canada, bilateral relations, as President Pendarovski said, have been further strengthened with NATO alliance.
“Bilateral and multilateral cooperation and our partnership are based on the sharing of the values of democracy, as well as the vision of building a more just and more inclusive world. Canada has always been for us a country of tolerance, diversity and respect for all people, which makes us even closer as two countries, although geographically distant”, President Pendarovski said.
Wishing Ambassador Norman success in his diplomatic duties, President Pendarovski expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop in several areas of mutual interest, with a focus on advancing the economic relations.
“In this sense, the large Diaspora originating from our country also contributes, which is an additional bridge for strengthening our mutual communication and enhancing cooperation in the field of culture, education, science and technology”, President Pendarovski said.
Ambassador Giles Norman stressed that North Macedonia and Canada have many common features that unite the two countries, including diversity.
“Both North Macedonia and Canada have a rich ethnic, religious and linguistic heritage. Embracing this diversity makes each of our countries stronger. By sharing our experiences, North Macedonia and Canada can learn from each other how diversity can contribute to inclusion and unity”, Ambassador Norman said.
Ambassador Norman stressed that a common feature of the two countries is the commitment to equality of men and women, as well as the desire to build a stronger economy through trade and investment.
“A business climate where the rule of law is respected and where foreign investment is protected against arbitrary decisions is fundamental to our economic cooperation. Expanding our economic cooperation will be an important part of my mandate”, Ambassador Norman concluded.
