Skopje, 4 February 2024 (MIA) - Our region is interconnected and national accomplishments in the fight against corruption and organized crime are not sufficient because criminals operate as a network, says Deputy PM for Good Governance Policies Slavica Grkovska.

Deputy PM Grkovska told Al Jazeera Balkans that the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) is one of the main platforms for regional strengthening in the fight against corruption.

Grkovska also refers to the support from UN Women and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in setting up the South-Eastern Europe Women Leaders Forum.

This initiative raised by Deputy PM Grkovska is focused on building a network of mutual support for women in the region engaged in anti-corruption efforts and faced with gender-based attacks, stigma and disinformation.

Starting from the common history of countries in the area and similarities in the people's mentality, all regional mechanisms at disposal must be used in countering corruption and organized crime, with Grkovska announcing the formation of a regional academy on good governance, seated in Skopje.

On the extremely low level of trust in the judiciary, she says prosecutors and judges must fight for their independence and distance themselves from their colleagues who create the perception of injustice and double standards.

"It is real courage to stick by the law and be impartial in high-level corruption cases," notes Grkovska.

Photo: Government