In a joint statement after their meeting, Židan said that he was honoured to have the opportunity to address Macedonian MPs on Tuesday and be present at the signing of the ratification of the country's NATO accession protocol, the Slovenian Parliament House said in a press release.

He noted that Slovenia had become the first NATO member to ratify the document during Xhaferi's visit to Ljubljana last year. This, Židan believes, indicates that the countries have very close ties and shows Slovenia's honest intention to help North Macedonia on its path to the EU.

Tomorrow, Židan will also attend the signing of a 2020-2021 memorandum on development cooperation between Slovenia and North Macedonia worth a total of EUR 2 million. The document brings new sustainability projects in environmental infrastructure.

Today, Židan made special mention of an agreement that will abolish tuitions in Slovenia for graduate and post-graduate students from North Macedonia.

"This agreement will enable the nearly 1,000 young Macedonian nationals to continue their education and to further strengthen the bridge of friendship between the two countries in the future."

Židan was also scheduled to meet former Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDSM) Zoran Zaev today, as well as the head of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party Hristijan Mickoski.

In the evening, he is to meet Slovenians living in North Macedonia and business representatives at Slovenia's Embassy in Skopje.

Tomorrow, he is moreover scheduled to meet President Stevo Pandarovski and Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski. The latter took over after Zaev called an early election, scheduled for 12 April.