The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs, Bekim Sali, held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, during which the strong and continuous cooperation between North Macedonia and the Council of Europe in the areas of rule of law, democracy and human rights was reaffirmed.
Minister Sali welcomed the closure of the post-monitoring dialogue of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2026, describing it as an important recognition of the country’s democratic progress, rule of law reforms and commitment to European standards.
The meeting highlighted the importance of the Council of Europe’s expert support in the European integration process, particularly within Chapters 23 and 24 related to judiciary, fundamental rights, justice, freedom and security.
Minister Sali expressed appreciation for the Council of Europe’s involvement in assessing the Action Plan on the rights of persons belonging to communities, as well as for the alignment with the Rule of Law Roadmap, which constitute an important part of the opening benchmarks for Cluster “Fundamentals”.
The discussions also underlined the important role of the Council of Europe mechanisms and bodies, including the Venice Commission, GRECO, MONEYVAL, CEPEJ and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), in strengthening judicial independence, fighting corruption and organised crime, and protecting human rights.
Minister Sali stressed that the Government remains fully committed to implementing reforms and advancing the European integration process in close cooperation with European institutions and international partners.
