Skopje, 24 August 2023 (MIA) – Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupcho Nikolovski and Agency for Financial Support of Agriculture and Rural Development director Nikica Bachovski announced signing 16 new co-financing agreements for investments in fisheries and aquaculture with a total worth of Mden 33 million.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy in a press release, the country has favorable conditions for developing fisheries and aquaculture as sectors that in the future can be financed through the European IPARD 3 agriculture and rural development fund.

Fisheries and aquaculture are a part of the EU's negotiating Chapter 13: Fisheries, and the agriculture ministry has been working on aligning the legislation with the relevant EU legislation with the support of EU and experts from Croatia, the release says.

In 2023, the agriculture ministry successfully completed the "Alignment of Legislation and Implementation of the Union Acquis in the Area of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Republic of North Macedonia" project.

"The project benefits are significant not only for the Ministry but for the entire country, because these results will help us move a step forward in aligning our legislation with that of the EU, and that is a step toward our strategic goal of EU membership," Minister Nikolovski stressed.

"In addition to the Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture, which is already in an advanced Government procedure, the Law on Financial Support for Fisheries and Aquaculture has also been prepared. This law aligns with relevant EU regulations, which will establish a system that after the accession will enable the country to access the European maritime, fisheries and aquaculture fund," the release adds. ssh/mr