On 11-13 June 1997, the Sejm Marshal Józef Zych paid an official visit to the Republic of Macedonia.
J.Zych met with Tito Petkovski, speaker of the National Assembly of Macedonia. The topics discussed during the meeting included, apart from parliamentary co-operation, conditions which Poland and Macedonia had to fulfil in order to become members of the European Union. The harmonisation of Polish and Macedonian law with European standards is particularly important in this context. Marshal Zych said that, "Poland supported the efforts made by the Republic of Macedonia to achieve the membership of both the European Union and NATO." This is important from the point of view of stabilisation of the situation in the area of former Yugoslavia. The Sejm Marshal was very positive about the Polish-Macedonian economic and cultural co-operation. In the parliament, meetings were held as well with representatives of political parties.
Józef Zych also talked with Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski. The talks focused on economic co-operation.
Marshal Zych met as well with Macedonia's Minister of Economics Boris Rikolovski and Foreign Minister Blagoj Handziski. The Polish-Macedonian talks coincided with the ratification of the agreement on economic co-operation with Poland by Macedonia's National Assembly. The agreement was signed by the governments of the two countries last year. The Macedonian side asked Poland to back the country's efforts to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. J.Zych declared the support on behalf of Poland. Summing up on his visit, Józef Zych stressed that, for Poland, Macedonia was an important partner in political, economic and parliamentary relations.
On 12 June 1997, the Sejm Deputy Marshal Marek Borowski received Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Radoje Kontic. Main topics discussed during the meeting included issues related to the development of political and economic co-operation between Poland and Yugoslavia. Prime Minister R.Kontic was interested in the course of work on Poland's new Constitution, the constitution making procedure, and the promotion of the Constitution. Deputy Marshal M.Borowski presented the current political situation in Poland in the context of upcoming parliamentary elections. R.Kontic was also received by the Senate Marshal Adam Struzik. The meeting focused on prospects for political and economic co-operation.
On 17 June 1997, the Sejm Marshal Józef Zych talked on the telephone to Oleksandr Moroz, speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, about the pre-second world war Polish military cemetery in Lvov.
O.Moroz made a commitment to intervene in relation to the cemetery on that very same day. He shared the opinion voiced by the Sejm Marshal that the attitude held by the local authorities concerning the matter was inappropriate. The subject will be resumed during the meeting of the heads of the two parliaments slated for 4 July 1997.