Tetovo, 5 June 2024 (MIA) — EU Ambassador David Geer on Wednesday opened officially Europe House Tetovo, the last in the network of Europe Houses across North Macedonia.

According to Ambassador Geer, Europe Houses are places where young people can gather to discuss issues that matter to them and talk about innovation, which is important to the European Union itself as well.

He pointed out that Tetovo was a multi-ethnic city of diverse cultures and languages, ​​with two universities and six secondary schools.

"I believe that this Europe House will attract the energy of these young people, directing them toward the European Union and improving the quality of their life in Tetovo and in the region," Geer said, adding that EU's investment in Europe Houses was an investment in the youth as an investment in the country's EU future.

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 was completed this year with additions in Struga and Tetovo. 

In 2023 alone, Europe Houses hosted around 900 artistic, educational or entertaining events for over 36,000 participants. The extended network organized 300 events only in the first four months of 2024.

At the Tetovo Europe House opening, Ambassador Geer handed over an EU-funded mobile library from the project ‘Regional Network for Cultural Diversity – READ’ to the organization LOJA from Tetovo. 

The project was implemented under the EU-funded "Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2018-2019" since 2020 to support reconciliation and good neighbourly relations. 

The first activity of Europe House Tetovo was a debate “Tetovo for a new, greener generation” with students from the Southeast European University. The debate on the occasion of World Environment Day was led the environmental activist Ms Elmedina Abdullahi, nominee for European Woman of the Year 2024.

The opening program will wrap up this evening with a concert of the musician and vocalist Zarina Prvasevda and her ensemble. mr/