First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Republic of North Macedonia Timcho Mucunski. The parties discussed the current security situation, the importance of strengthening the resilience of the energy and logistic infrastructure of Ukraine, as well as European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Korniyenko thanked North Macedonia for its consistent support for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, including humanitarian aid, assistance to Ukrainian communities and medical institutions, and its contribution to strengthening the country’s energy resilience.
The First Deputy Speaker stressed that the need for energy assistance has once again become critical today. russia continues to target Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, expanding the array of weaponry used in its strikes, including the deployment of new types of drones. The parties discussed the imperative to bolster the resilience of Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure ahead of the upcoming winter.
Ukraine’s European integration was a key topic of the meeting. Oleksandr Korniyenko emphasized that European Union membership remains a strategic course for the nation, enshrined in the Constitution and backed by an overwhelming majority of the Ukrainian people.
"Ukraine continues to carry out the necessary practical and legislative tasks, including aligning national legislation with EU law. Even amid a full-scale war, we must maintain the momentum of this work and move toward membership as swiftly as possible," noted the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Similarly, the path toward NATO membership remains a matter of principle for Ukraine. Oleksandr Korniyenko highlighted North Macedonia’s consistent support for Ukraine as a NATO member state. He specifically emphasized the importance of the parliamentary dimension of cooperation, notably the active engagement of North Macedonian representatives within the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
"We look forward to further cooperation with North Macedonia to strengthen the security of Ukraine and all of Europe, as well as to advance our nation along the path toward the EU and NATO," concluded Oleksandr Korniyenko.