Skopje, April 30, 2026 – An international online meeting took place between students of Nova International School (North Macedonia) and the young authors of the book “Harold and Larabelle. The Kingdom of Books” – Arlan and Aslan Aitkaliyev, who study at the Waldorf-oriented School-Gymnasium (Uralsk, Kazakhstan).

The event was held with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in North Macedonia and formed part of a series of international meetings aimed at fostering cultural dialogue among children from different countries.

From the very first minutes, the meeting evolved into a lively and sincere conversation. The children communicated in English, shared jokes, asked questions, and learned about each other with great interest. The atmosphere was light, friendly, and remarkably warm.

Of particular interest was the fact that the school in North Macedonia educates children from various countries. This made the conversation truly international – encompassing diverse perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, yet united by shared values.

The participants expressed particular admiration for the fact that the book also has an audio version in all four languages. The students noted that this makes the book accessible to a wide range of children and wholeheartedly supported the idea.

The young authors also spoke about their participation in the IX International Book Fair “ASTANA Eurasian Book Fair” (April 22–26, 2026), where their book won first place in the nomination “Best Children’s Book.”

The children talked about their love of reading, shared favorite literary works, and discussed why books remain important even in the digital age.

During the meeting, it became clear that the students share many common interests: a love of books, a desire to learn, grow, and discover new things. Despite the distance and different countries, they easily found common ground – as if they had known each other for a long time.

The meeting left a warm impression of genuine, live communication. The participants expressed a wish to continue the dialogue and hold new joint meetings.

This experience once again demonstrated that when children talk about books, dreams, and the future, borders disappear, and in their place emerge friendship and mutual understanding.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-skopje/press/news/details/1214509?lang=kk