Skopje, 3 April 2023 (MIA) - EU experts at home and in the region want to and have what it takes to offer direct support to the Macedonian European integration path, and the whole process should be openly communicated for everyone to feel involved from the very beginning, concluded Monday's public event entitled "Macedonian European integration path - Building partnerships and taking positive experiences", organized by the Institute for Good Governance and Euro-Atlantic Perspectives (IDUEP) in cooperation with YES Alumni - Program supported by the U.S. State Department. 

Director at CFE Tax Advisers Europe (European Association of Tax Advisors) in Brussels, Aleksandar Ivanovski, told participants in the debate that it was necessary for the state to put into operation all the resources available, in order to speed up the process that is in the interest of all citizens.

"There are experts from the country who live and work in the EU. All of them are, in one way or another, Macedonian ambassadors in European countries, i.e. in the European Union. But helping efforts towards EU membership is something we should all be committed to and lend our support to the process. There is will, there are people, there is knowledge and most importantly, a good and sincere intention to help," said Ivanovski. 

According to him, EU membership should imply a national consensus between all social stakeholders, and above all the political parties, especially given the geopolitical situation and military threats to the peace and stability of the entire European continent.

IDUEP president Bojan Kordalov pointed out that the negotiations are in the interest of every citizen, not a process of one political party or government. 

"This is what the experience shows of all countries in the region that joined the Union in the past decades. We believe that in this part it is necessary to build a platform that will be non-partisan and national, that will give everyone an equal chance to be involved, i.e. primarily building an inclusive communication strategy and a platform where every person will feel welcome," said Kordalov. 

He added that things can be set right from the very beginning only and primarily by building and implementing communication based on the involvement of all interested parties, i.e. only by honest and open communication of facts, as well as building a transparent relationship with the media.

Alumnus of the YES Program Teodora Boshkova believes all young people in the country deserve a European future and the same opportunities as their peers from the EU, pointing out that young people are the backbone of every society, therefore they must be the most important link that needs to be fully involved in decision-making at every level. 

Photo: MIA