The first country in the Western Balkans to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement is the Republic of North Macedonia in 2001, said State Secretary Drita Abdiu Halili at the meeting with the Irish Ambassador Paul McGarry, which took place today at the Secretariat for European Affairs.

The well-known facts such as the application for membership in 2004, the acquisition of candidate status in 2005 and the fulfillment of all the criteria for the start of negotiations in 2009 and the decision to open accession negotiations in March 2020 are well-known facts, she added, adding that they indicate the time lost.

Regarding the bilateral cooperation, the State Secretary emphasized that we recognize the successful cooperation with the Irish-Dublin Institute for Public Administration 2007-2010 through trainings, specialised trainings and internships and that it was one of the most successful projects we have had in the field of public administration, stating that, of course, a similar type of cooperation and possible assistance would be welcome.