Struga, 30 May 2024 (MIA) – EU Ambassador David Geer on Thursday officially opened Europe House Struga, the sixth youth hub in the country opened by the European Union. 

"The Europe House network is growing across the country, it is very active in promoting places for the new generations. Europe Houses represent an investment in the young people of this country, in innovation, in their creativity and their European future, here in North Macedonia. In 2023 alone, our Europe Houses hosted around 900 artistic, educational or entertaining events for over 36,000 participants," Geer told Thursday's event. 

He called on the young people in Struga and the region to visit the Europe House, noting that its doors are open to all young people who will turn the place into a youth hub where common European values ​​will be promoted.

"Struga has been promoting the universal language of poetry since 1960. With the cultural heritage left by the Miladinovci Brothers, through the Struga Poetry Evenings, many of the most famous poets of all time visited here, presenting identical values, regardless of where they came from. It is poetry that is a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace. Europe House Struga is guided by the same principles, to unite young people, to help them exchange ideas, upgrade skills and promote innovative thinking and approaches, and most importantly, to unite towards a better future," the EU Ambassador told the opening of Europe House Struga.

Geer's activities in Struga continued in the afternoon with the unveiling of the EU-funded mural “Symbiosis” positioned at the Museum of Nature "Dr. Nikola Nezhlobinski". Young people from Struga then had the chance for a peer-to-peer exchange over an outdoor networking event. 

Europe House Struga had its first event on 21 March 2024 being World Poetry Day. The “Mlada Struga” award was revived on this occasion in cooperation with the Struga Poetry Evenings. 

The growth of the Europe House network started in Skopje in November 2019, continued in Kriva Palanka and Strumica in February 2021, in Bitola and Veles in May and June 2023 respectively. The network is being brought to completion this year with editions in Struga and Tetovo. The opening of Europe House Tetovo is planned for early next month. 

Photo: MIA