Skopje, 17 November 2023 (MIA) - The only way to prevent the departure of young people is to ensure a better standard in North Macedonia, for which the solution is EU membership, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said addressing Friday's panel "Migration through Diaspora Engagement: A New Dimension for Diplomatic and Development Cooperation" as part of the Ulpiana Forum taking place in Pristina. 

Osmani pointed to the fact that countries such as Spain and Portugal had a significantly greater outflow of labor and young people before joining the EU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. The trend in these two countries, according to Osmani, has changed with the membership in the Union.

Osmani also mentioned projects of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the interest of the diaspora, particularly the project MKarta, which essentially "creates a valuable network of individuals who are the best in their professions and who have left a mark in the new environment in which they are successfully integrated and serve as an additional bridge of cooperation between the diaspora and North Macedonia". The idea of the project, adds the press release, is for them, according to their knowledge and skills, to be included in the current projects of the Government and state institutions.

"North Macedonia's experience shows that for a comprehensive approach to working with the diaspora, three elements are key - a law for the diaspora, institutional support, and mapping," reads the press release. 

Osmani noted that during the 2021 census, North Macedonia made it possible for the diaspora to register abroad for the first time, but data on location cannot be used for creating long-term policies. According to Osmani, detailed mapping is needed in that sense, regarding which a project is ongoing in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration, including three young experts on the diaspora based in Italy. 

Photo: MFA