Skopje, 18 September 2025 (MIA) - Macedonia is a part of the European family and public administration reforms are a key part of that process, Minister of Public Administration Goran Minchev said at an event Thursday on generic training for administrative officials - “Investment in Administrative Officials is an Investment in the Future of the Public Sector” held in Skopje.

Minchev said the country’s future lies at the heart of the public administration.

“The reforms led by the Ministry of Public Administration aren’t just words on paper, they are actions, they are reality, they change every institution, they change the daily lives of the citizens and pave the way to a modern, professional Macedonia,” Minchev said.

The Minister said today the Ministry of Public Administration is officially launching the implementation of generic training for administrative officials for the first time. The generic training programs, he said, are the foundation upon which every professional administration will be built.

“They are the first step towards the creation of officials that will know the essence of public service, professionalism, ethics, responsibility, transparency. Without these fundamental values, not a single law, not a single strategy or vision can ever be realized,” Minchev added.

Minchev said the training programs are not being implemented just with domestic resources, but also with the backing of international tutors.

"This is a symbol of our commitment to European standards. It is proof that we want the best for our civil servants. Cooperation with institutions such as the Regional School of Public Administration (RESPA), the Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) based in Slovenia, the Agency for Professional Training from France, the Vita Institut, the Faculty of Economics at the 'Ss. Cyril and Methodius' University, along with international partners and experts like Borko Handzhiski, is a guarantee that we are not alone on this path. They will share experiences and practices that have already yielded results in other countries. Our task is to adapt and apply those experiences at home," the Minister stressed. 

Apart from the training in Skopje, Minchev said in the coming months training for administrative officials from the Eastern, Polog and Pelagonia regions will be realized as well.

“The Republic of Macedonia is a part of the European family and public administration reforms are a key part of that process. In that context, I want to stress that a historic step forward in the reform is the adoption of the set of reform laws – the Law on Public Sector Employees, the Law on Civil Servants, the Law on Inspection Supervision, and the Law on Professional Development and Training of Civil Servants. These four laws are the foundation of the new vision and represent the beginning of the overall reform of the public administration in our country,” Minchev said.

Minchev noted that the Academy for Civil Servants was established with the adoption of the Law on Professional Development and Training of Civil Servants, describing it as “the first institution of its kind in the country, as well as the foundation of a new vision”.

“The Academy won’t be yet another administrative body that exists only on paper. It will be the heart of the modern administration. It will be a house of knowledge, a university of practice, a laboratory for new ideas,” the Minister said.

According to the Public Administration Minister, the state is not being built in Parliament nor in the Government, but rather through the daily work of administrative officials.

“If we want to have a strong country, we must have a strong administration. We are building that administration today. We are building that future today. Today, we are showing that reforms are not just empty words, but a living process. The generic training is the first step. The Academy is the next step. And the goal is clear – an administration that will be our pride, and not a burden, an administration that will drive us forward instead of holding us back, an administration that will be European and serve the citizens in the real sense of the word. Let’s not miss this opportunity,” Minchev underscored.

Photo/Video: MIA