Zaev: Filling the NATO Ambassador post is a priority,

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, during Thursday’s Q&A session in Parliament, said that the ambassador’s post in NATO must be filled as soon as possible.
“The government filling the NATO Ambassador post is a priority,is committed to nominating ambassadors for at least half of the vacant ambassador posts and consultations are underway with the President and the Foreign Minister, but filling the NATO Ambassador post is a priority,” said Zaev.

In response to a question by VMRO-DPMNE MP Antonijo Miloshoski on whether the government was planning on nominating Teuta Arifi for ambassador to the U.S., Dane Talevski for NATO ambassador, Misho Dokmanovikj for ambassador to Israel and Sashko Nasev for ambassador to Bulgaria, PM Zaev said two of those names were discussed about, whereas the other two haven’t been mentioned at all.

Miloshoski noted that the question had been intended for Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, but since he was absent from the session the PM could give an answer.

Zaev added that it was too early for him to give his views on the matter, having in mind that the President or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs might not agree with him.

The PM pointed out that sending an ambassador to NATO was a priority at this point, and said that he would discuss this with FM Dimitrov in the coming days and ask him to expedite the procedure.

He also said that he expected the procedure for new ambassadors to be completed at some point in November or December, or maybe January or February.

Miloshoski was not happy with the answer and said that the government shouldn’t send political ambassadors to important diplomatic centers in a pre-election period.