Skopje, 27 September 2022 (MIA) - Nearly 700,000 Macedonians, about one in four, are living outside the country. Emigration from North Macedonia in the past decade increased fivefold in the EU and about one quarter of the working-age population has left the country, which has been affecting the country's productivity, said Anita Richter, head of the South-East Europe Division of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), at Tuesday's presentation of the OECD report on labor migration in the Western Balkans. A large diaspora could bring significant resources to its country of origin, she said adding that North Macedonia's diaspora has huge potential. About three percent of remittances are sent to the country, which is below the Western Balkans average of nearly 10 percent, according to Richter. According to Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi, opportunities should be created for young people in their own country where they will reach their full potential all the while making them competitive with their peers around the world. "Whenever we talk about migration, we either hear or say the sentence 'we should keep young people at home.' I believe it is not an option always," he stated. What the country should do, Bytyqi said, is focus on the issues rather than avoiding them and to include young people in the dialogue, because they want to be included. Speaking at the event, Swiss Ambassador Veronica Ullman said the study offers certain recommendations, including identification of smart transformation of the education system to provide more opportunities for the Macedonian workforce, thus increasing the national living standard. She said Switzerland supports the government of North Macedonia in aligning its vocational education system with the labor market, establishing cooperation between educational institutions and the innovative eco-system and contributing to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups. Austrian Ambassador Georg Woutsas said his country supports the Western Balkan six countries, including North Macedonia, to join the EU wishing the accession negotiations were concluded without a delay in order the country to become a member of the Union as soon as possible. Austria and the EU want to see a developed Western Balkans that is joining, not an empty society especially left by their youth and qualified workforce, he said adding Austria offers several programs and initiatives to stop the trend of migration, especially the emigration of highly educated people.