Minister of European Affairs Orhan Murtezani hosted a diplomatic delegation of Turkey today as part of a meeting to share experiences in the European integration process. In his welcoming speech, Minister Murtezani emphasized that enhanced cooperation with Turkey is of great importance for North Macedonia, especially in terms of institutional strengthening, alignment with European standards and improving the capacity to manage European funds.
“This meeting is proof of the strong and enduring relationship between Turkey and North Macedonia. As I have already emphasized during my recent visit to Ankara, our partnership is deeply rooted in history, but at the same time it is also future-oriented, built on shared aspirations and common goals. Today’s discussions represent another step towards learning from each other’s experiences,” MEP Murtezani emphasized.
The meeting focused on several key topics and panels, at which representatives from both delegations shared their insights and expertise. In the first panel, the Turkish side presented its experiences from the accession process, with a special focus on the institutional structure, negotiation mechanisms and the main challenges they have overcome over the years. Experts from the Ministry of European Affairs of North Macedonia, in turn, spoke about the current status of the country's European integration and the priorities that lie ahead in the coming period.
The second panel discussed the preparation of the national version of EU law, with experts from both sides presenting their organizational structures, translation and coordination procedures, legal and expert review of translated acts and the creation of terminological bases, which are key to the precise and consistent transposition of European Union law into the national legal system.
The third panel was dedicated to financial cooperation with the EU and the use of IPA funds. The Macedonian and Turkish sides presented their experiences in programming, implementing and monitoring European funds, with a special emphasis on the mechanisms for efficient management of funds and ensuring their maximum use.
The final panel focused on cross-border and regional cooperation, exploring opportunities for joint projects within European programs. Both sides stressed the importance of such initiatives for fostering economic development, infrastructure connectivity, and building stronger relationships between institutions.
