Brussels, 25 October 2023 (MIA) - Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj will take part October 25-26 at the "Global Gateway Forum", including over 40 senior government officials from EU member-states and partners, as well as international organizations, civil society, private sector and financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), MIA reports from Brussels.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to deliver the opening remarks at the forum, which discusses issues related to global investments in infrastructure, challenges of the public and private sector, transition to green energy, support to education and research, security of critical raw materials and development of transport corridors and digital infrastructure.

As part of the working visit to Belgium, Deputy PM Marichikj will hold bilateral meetings with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, Director General at the Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, and European Commissioner for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn.

Marichikj will also hold a briefing with the working group of the Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA), and a working meeting with Acting Director for the Western Balkans at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Michela Matuella, to discuss the screening process and the preparation of strategic documents - Roadmaps for opening Cluster 1 - Fundamentals.

The focus of the meetings will be North Macedonia's European agenda and the perspective of the accession process, with all its current and future challenges, the Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release.

Photo: MIA archive/European Commission