President Murmu calls North Macedonia key partner in multipolar world
New Delhi/Skopje, July 21 (TNT): President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday described North Macedonia as an important partner in shaping a stable, multipolar and prosperous global order and called for deeper parliamentary engagement and stronger bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing members of the Assembly of North Macedonia in Skopje in the presence of President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Murmu said India regarded North Macedonia not as a distant country but as an important pillar in the emerging global architecture.
She said the relationship between the two countries dates back more than two millennia, with historic trade and cultural exchanges connecting the civilisations of the two regions.
Emphasising the shared democratic values of India and North Macedonia, the President said democracy was not merely a system of governance but a common belief that united the two nations.
She said parliaments were guardians of people’s freedoms and stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening institutional ties beyond political cycles.
Murmu encouraged greater exchanges between lawmakers, particularly young legislators, to promote the sharing of best practices in parliamentary functioning and public policy.
Referring to changing global geopolitical and economic realities, the President said India viewed Southeast Europe as a region of growing strategic and economic importance.
She described North Macedonia as a vital gateway linking the Mediterranean with Central Europe and connecting East and West, and reaffirmed India’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation, including in trade and investment.
Highlighting India’s civilisational philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), Murmu said no nation could prosper in isolation and called for building bridges rather than divisions in a world facing conflicts and economic fragmentation.
She expressed confidence that India and North Macedonia, as two democratic nations rooted in history and guided by a shared vision for the future, could work together to promote peace and prosperity.
Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya and Members of Parliament Dinesh Sharma and Vijay Baghel were also present on the occasion.
TNT KS
