The second day of the working visit to Brussels, Minister for European Affairs Orhan Murtezani began with a meeting with Oliver Roepke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), at which they discussed the role of economic and social partners and civil society in the European integration process.
Minister Murtezani welcomed the EESC initiative for a deeper involvement of the civil sector, trade unions and chambers of commerce in the enlargement process and stressed that inclusiveness and broad social dialogue are key to the successful implementation of reforms related to European integration. He emphasized that North Macedonia already has developed mechanisms for involving the civil sector in the policy-making process, including the European integration process, but that more concrete cooperation with European institutions is needed to deepen this cooperation. He underlined that the participation of civil society organizations in European platforms, such as the EESC, is a valuable tool for sharing experiences and good practices, as well as for strengthening public support for the reforms required by the EU.
Both sides agreed that EU enlargement is not only an institutional process, but a transformation that must be led by all segments of society. Minister Murtezani reaffirmed the readiness of the Government of North Macedonia to strengthen cooperation with the EESC, in order to better utilize the opportunities offered by this committee for the inclusion of the civil sector in European processes.
