On 18 January, Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and Minister of Justice of Ukraine, met with Orhan Murtezani, Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia and Chief Negotiator with the EU for the membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the European Union, in Kyiv.
On the outcome of the meeting, the participants signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of European integration.
The document is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in the field of European integration, with a focus on EU accession negotiations.
"Both of our countries have their unique experience of the European integration path, and we are also eager to share some of the best practices and experiences gained in the process of implementing reforms. The Memorandum signed today is just a continuation of our long-term cooperation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank your country's experts for helping Ukraine prepare for our screening. Ukraine has a large, inclusive and professional team in the accession process, but it would not have been so successful during the screening if it were not for your experience," the Deputy Prime Minister said during the meeting.
For his part, Orhan Murtezani emphasised that within the current wave of enlargement, each of the candidate countries has its own successful stories and experiences to share. The Minister said that North Macedonia had successfully completed the screening process and had already shared some of its best practices with Ukraine. "We will be happy if we can continue to share our expertise in the future. The Memorandum is a solid basis for intensifying and accelerating cooperation; we have a common goal (EU accession), but we would also like to share the path towards it," the Minister stressed.
The Memorandum stipulates that the parties will cooperate, exchange knowledge and experience, in particular in the following areas:
The parties agreed to hold regular meetings of the Chief Negotiators and representatives of their Offices, as well as to establish and continue to meet the Joint Working Group to organise and implement the measures envisaged by the document.
In addition, the cooperation includes the organisation of joint events, seminars, trainings, and educational exchanges for the negotiating teams of both countries.