Tetovo, 13 December 2024 (MIA) - The EU Ambassador to North Macedonia, Michalis Rokas, will visit the Municipality of Tetovo on Friday. The purpose is to outreach at local level to bring the European Union and the integration process closer to the people, while discussing the benefits of the EU accession and the impact of the EU assistance on daily basis.

The visit will kick off with back-to-back meetings with Mayor of Tetovo Bilal Kasami and the Municipal Council, the Delegation of the EU said in a press release. 

Later on, adds the press release, at Europe House Tetovo, Ambassador Rokas and Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski will present the EU-funded Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) that aims to shape the digital transformation of Europe’s society and economy. North Macedonia signed the association agreement for DIGITAL with the European Commission on 30 June 2023. Businesses, public administrations and other eligible organisations can now access the calls of DIGITAL and take part in EU-funded projects that deploy digital technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence and advanced digital skills. The overall budget of DIGITAL for 2021-2027 period is €7.5 billion.

In the afternoon, at the South East European University (SEEU), Ambassador Rokas will officially open the EU-funded “700 Accelerator Hub” together with Acad. Prof. Dr. Abdylmenaf Bexheti, SEEU Rector, and David Oberhuber, GIZ Country Director. The Accelerator results from the EU-funded programme EU for Economic Growth that is implemented by GIZ and connects innovative start-ups with potential investors and mentors in the Polog region.

The visit will be wrapped up with meetings with prominent figures from Tetovo, reads the press release. 

Photo: MIA archive