As part of his working visit to Geneva, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Poposki, has earlier today had an opportunity to meet with the Ambassadors of the UN member states belonging to the Eastern European Group, as well as with the incumbent President of the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador Remigiusz Achilles Henczel. The meetings have come as part of the activities aimed at promoting the candidacy of the Republic of Macedonia for membership of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in the period between 2014 and 2016.

At the meetings, Minister Poposki has discussed with his interlocutors the results that Macedonia has had in the area of human rights promotion, focusing, as well, on the priorities and commitments to advancing both the national and global human rights policies and the value that the potential membership of the Republic of Macedonia could add to UNHRC’s 2014-2016 configuration. In that context, Minister Poposki has stated that, if elected to UNHRC membership in the proposed period, the Republic of Macedonia would invest the utmost of its efforts into being both responsible and as transparent as possible in its work, remaining in constant communication with all other UN member states along the way and acting as one of the organization’s most enthusiastic and responsible members. On that note, the chief of Macedonian diplomacy has further added that Macedonia has the capacity and stands fully prepared to offer its assistance in the efforts that the international community is investing in trying to foster and promote the highest human rights standards possible throughout the world and has, on that note, underlined that, should the country be elected to UNHRC membership, it will indeed be able to offer its own unique contribution to UNHRC causes by delivering tangible results in all areas of concern to the Council’s operations.                                  

At his meeting with Ambassador Remigiusz Achilles Henczel, Minister  Poposki has learned of the experiences that the incumbent UNHRC President has acquired during his time at the Council, exchanging with him his views on the manner  in which the Council operates in general. In that context, Minister Poposki and UNHRC President Henzel have also taken the opportunity to discuss the latest set of developments within this esteemed agency of the UN, spearing some thoughts, as well, on the priorities it has been engaged in pursuing over the last period.

In addition to these meetings, Minister Poposki has today also had an opportunity to meet with the Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), Fred Tanner, whereby he and Mr. Tanner have exchanged their views on a number of global security issues, including the topic of Minister Poposki’s afternoon address, which deals with the challenges that the OSCE is facing, as well as with the issue of what the future holds for the organization in general. Moreover, Minister Poposki and GCSP Director Tanner have discussed the possibility of the GCSP engaging in a more intensive cooperation with the Diplomatic Academy at the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the period ahead.

In the early hours, the chief of Macedonian diplomacy has also been interviewed by Global Journal magazine, providing an insight into the Macedonian priorities and activities relating to the country’s European integration in general.