Skopje, 8 May 2025 (MIA) - Minister of European Affairs Orhan Murtezani addressed on Thursday an online promotional event for a project on monitoring reforms and growth in the Western Balkans, organized by the European Policy Institute (EPI) as a platform for regional exchange of experiences and good practices in monitoring and evaluating reforms, alongside representatives from institutions, civil society and international partners.

"The Reform Agenda 2024–2027 is a nationally driven transformation platform that embeds the European agenda in institutional policies. It is based on five strategic pillars: the rule of law, green transition, digital transformation, human capital and good governance," Minister Murtezani said. 

He stressed the importance of structured and transparent reform monitoring mechanisms as key tools for effective management of reform processes and strengthening public trust. Murtezani stressed that reforms must be result-oriented, continuously monitored and open to corrections, to reflect the real dynamics and expectations of citizens and partners, the Ministry of European Affairs said in a press release. 

According to him, the project discussed at Thursday's event directly addresses the challenges faced by national coordinators of complex reform agendas.

"As Minister in charge of European Affairs and National Coordinator for the Reform Agenda of North Macedonia, I see firsthand the importance of tools that not only track the results of reforms, but reflect institutional efforts, policy coherence and the societal relevance of what we are striving to achieve," said Murtezani. 

Commenting on the Reform Agenda 2024-2027, he pointed out that the agenda is a nationally driven transformation platform, designed through a structured process involving ministries, civil society, development partners and international experts. However, he noted, its credibility does not stem from its conception, but the ability to translate political priorities into visible change. The agenda, Murtezani added, recognizes five central pillars that reflect both national and European priorities: the rule of law, green transition, digital transformation, human capital development and good governance. Each of these areas contains specific reforms, timeframes and expected results, but despite this, they are interdependent and complementary.

In the past year, he pointed out, North Macedonia has taken concrete steps to embed this agenda in the work of public institutions. The adoption of the new Law on Budgets, he added, has established a more transparent, rules-based framework for the management of public funds.

"Internal financial control systems are being expanded and embedded in key institutions. In the area of ​​human capital, regional vocational education centres are being operated in order to better align education with the needs of the labour market. As part of the Green Agenda, operational frameworks for energy transition are being introduced in parallel with the planning of legislation. All these measures are monitored against clearly defined benchmarks and performance indicators," Minister Murtezani said. 

In this context, he pointed out that monitoring reforms and growth is not just a comparative data set. The project, according to him, offers an opportunity to integrate evidence-based monitoring of reforms into policy planning, funding decisions and public accountability mechanisms. It reinforces the message that reform is not an occasional activity, but an ongoing obligation. More importantly, the Minister stressed, this allows us to see our efforts in comparison with those in the region, where progress has been made and where there is a need for joint action.

Minister Murtezani expressed satisfaction that Maida Gorčević, Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, as well as national coordinator, is also attending Thursday's event.

"Our cooperation is long-standing, becoming increasingly important over time. As colleagues, we work in political systems that may differ in detail, but face the same key challenge: how to implement transformative reforms under the pressure of limited resources, rising public expectations and the requirements of the EU accession process. This mutual cooperation is not only important for advancing our national practices, but also strengthens the regional voice in dialogue with the European Union and international partners," Murtezami said. 

According to him, the coordination of the national Reform Agenda means ensuring internal consistency of the reforms, their clear communication with the public, and resilience to political or administrative changes.

"A clear understanding of the sequence of actions is needed, a strong connection between reform ambitions and institutional capacity, and constant communication with the public and our international partners. In this regard, coordination is both a technical and a political role. Allow me to point out that the dynamics of reform must not be neglected. It must be renewed through concrete results, institutional learning and regional solidarity. Tools such as the Reform and Growth Monitor can play a significant role in these efforts, but only if they are not used exclusively for reporting, but as part of a broader reform culture that values ​​evidence, transparency and dialogue," the Minister pointed out. 

In his address, he highlighted that the country remains fully committed to making its Reform Agenda a “living” document that is constantly being updated.

"I want to highlight that reforms succeed where there is responsibility, coordination and trust. Platforms like today’s event are important because they remind us that reform is not just a national issue. It is a regional and European issue, with shared responsibilities and shared expectations," said Minister Murtezani.

Photo: Ministry of European Affairs