Skopje, 18 September 2024 (MIA) — President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova received Wednesday the International Organization for Migration's Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Dragan Aleksoski.

According to an official press release, they discussed strengthening cooperation between Macedonian institutions with the IOM, migration policy areas that should be given priority, and the IOM's upcoming initiatives and activities planned in the country.

Expressing gratitude for the IOM's support to the country since 1999, President Siljanovska Davkova welcomed the ongoing partnership in building capacities for migration management, border control and supporting vulnerable groups.

Meeting participants exchanged opinions on the possibilities of continuing cooperation in labor migration programs, which facilitate the integration of migrants into society and increase their contribution to national development. They also spoke about ways to provide health care for the migrants, the release says.

Siljanovska Davkova and Aleksoski also expressed interest in cooperating on sustainable strategies for managing and mitigating the risks of climate migration.

"At the meeting, the President was also briefed on the IOM's role in the prevention of violent extremism and programs for reintegration and rehabilitation of returned foreign terrorist fighters and their families," the release notes.

President Siljanovska Davkova reaffirmed the country's commitment to the management of legal and illegal migration, building institutional capacities and aligning laws with international standards as well as crisis management at the national and regional levels. mr/