Minister for European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani, within the first day of his working visit to Brussels, held separate meetings with the Director General of the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission (DG REGIO), Themis Christofidou, and with the Director General of the Directorate General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST) of the European Commission, Valentina Superti, announced the MÇE.
They say that the talks focused on advancing North Macedonia’s European integration process, implementing reforms, and deepening cooperation with European Union institutions.
“In the conversation with Director-General Christofidou, Minister Murtezani expressed gratitude for the continuous support that the European Commission provides through the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, especially in the field of territorial and cross-border cooperation. He referred to the current presidency of North Macedonia with the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), emphasizing that the country, despite the initial challenges, is successfully implementing the activities planned within the framework of the presidency program. The Minister emphasized that the Government remains fully committed to strengthening regional connectivity, promoting sustainable development and increasing the visibility of the country within the Union’s macro-regional initiatives. Both sides agreed to continue close cooperation towards the finalization of the presidency and the preparation of the annual EUSAIR forum.
At the meeting with Director Superti, the progress in the implementation of reform activities in the context of the European agenda, as well as the priorities of the Government for the coming period, were discussed in detail. Minister Murtezani emphasized North Macedonia’s readiness to finalize the roadmaps for public administration, the rule of law and foreign investments, as well as for activities related to the Reform Agenda and the Growth Plan.
The focus of the conversation was also the expectations for the opening of Cluster 1, as well as issues related to the Stabilization and Association Agreement and measures affecting the steel industry in our country. The Minister emphasized the importance of economic integration and equal access to the European market as key elements for stability and development, while the European Commission expressed its readiness and further technical support and coordination in the implementation of reforms,” ​​the announcement says./Telegrafi/