Skopje, 12 January 2024 (MIA) — Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski on an official visit to Washington met with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien, discussing US support for the Interior Ministry and the state in general, progress in the fight against corruption, and US list of sanctions.

According to an official press release, the Ministry of Interior has made significant progress in promoting the rule of law and the fight against corruption through training programs, joint operations, and unit modernization, Spasovski said at the meeting.

"Success in this fight is possible only with institutions acting with integrity, professionally and non-selectively, especially in the area of justice," Spasovski added.

Sharing statistical figures on the results achieved in the fight against corruption, Spasovski said that in 2023 alone, the police discovered over 64 cases of corruption, 121 crimes and 178 perpetrators, causing losses of over 350 million denars.

"The investigative capacity of the police in 2021 increased by as much as 50 percent," the interior minister said. "At the same time, I would like to point out that since I have been at the helm of the Interior Ministry, the Suppression of Organized and Serious Crimes Department has filed 44 criminal charges against 170 individuals and two legal entities for the crime of abuse of office between 2017 and 2023."

Minister Spasovski stressed that all directives and persons on the list of US sanctions will be introduced in the local legislation so they can be banned from participating in public procurement, running for public office or holding a government post.

Spasovski also told O'Brien about the state's coordinating body for analyzing and strengthening legislation against corruption and organized crime, which discussed heightening restrictive measures in light of the United States of America's corruption-related designations. They also spoke about the recent proposal on amending the Law on Restrictive Measures to include US legal acts as basis for sanctions.

"In the implementation of this law's measures," the interior minister said, "the Interior Ministry will use its international cooperation channels, primarily Interpol, Europol, Southeast European Law Enforcement Center, etc., through which it will make it possible to obtain necessary information to serve as well as to exercise its authority according to the Law on Criminal Procedure and the Criminal Code."

US Assistant Secretary O'Brien said these were important steps the Interior Ministry and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia were taking in the fight against corruption and organized crime.

Spasovski and O'Brian also agreed there was no alternative to the country's European path and that the period that follows would be crucial for the Republic of North Macedonia. In forming a caretaker government ahead the elections, the upcoming challenges, they said, were key for the direction the country woud take next. mr/