Today, the Minister for European Affairs Orhan Murtezani met with the newly appointed Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Republic of North Macedonia, Paolo Palminteri.
Minister Murtezani welcomed Italy’s continued and principled support for the enlargement policy of the European Union, as one of its founding member states. The interlocutors concluded that this engagement is of essential importance for preserving and advancing the current momentum of the enlargement process. In this context, Italy’s active role within the “Friends of Enlargement” group was emphasized, which was once again confirmed by yesterday’s meeting in Rome.
Murtezani and Palminteri reaffirmed the successful cooperation within the framework of European instruments, such as IPA Twinning and TAIEX, where eight Twinning projects have been implemented with Italian partners in the fields of environment, agriculture, organized crime and private sector development so far. Minister Murtezani encouraged the Italian side to further participate in these programs, which significantly contribute to harmonization with European standards. In addition, it was emphasized that North Macedonia is already part of the interregional and transnational territorial programs – URBACT, Interreg Europe, Euro-Med and Adrion, which opens up new opportunities for strengthening partnerships between the institutions and citizens of the two countries.
Minister Murtezani and Ambassador Palminteri confirmed their joint commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the European integration process of North Macedonia.
