Skopje, 8 July 2025 (MIA) - As part of his working visit to Paris, Minister of European Affairs Orhan Murtezani met with Emmanuel Puisais-Jauvin, Secretary General of France's Secretariat for European Affairs (SGAE), the Ministry of European Affairs said in a press release Tuesday.

According to the Ministry, the meeting discussed modalities for strengthening cooperation between the Ministry and SGAE by identifying new mechanisms and instruments to support North Macedonia’s EU integration process, as well as applying the best European administrative practices and experiences gained through the French model of interministerial coordination, as a counterpart to the coordinating role the Ministry for European Affairs holds domestically in the context of European integration. 

Discussions also focused on experiences with the “Expertise France” program and its long-standing support for building institutional capacities, as well as the role of training through the “Formacion Administrative Superior” (FASP) program in developing human resources ready to meet the requirements of European legislation. Murtezani and Puisais-Jauvin also exchanged views on the need to improve development cooperation, particularly through mobilizing financial instruments and grants available via the French Development Agency (AFD), PROPARKO, and Expertise France, as well as in line with the bilateral agreement signed between the two governments in 2021.

Minister Murtezani welcomed the fact that North Macedonia remains a strategic partner in France’s new long-term Development Cooperation Strategy for the period 2025–2030, which extends and enhances activities initiated within the 2020–2024 Eurasian Strategy. This continued engagement opens new prospects for cooperation in areas such as energy transition, public resource management, climate policies, and innovative governance at the local and regional levels. Puisais-Jauvin and Murtezani agreed on the necessity of continuing institutional exchange and cooperation through European instruments TAIEX and TWINNING, as well as through French language training and targeted projects to strengthen administrative resilience. 

Murtezani and Puisais-Jauvin concluded that deepening technical and administrative cooperation remains a strategic prerequisite for building a stable institutional foundation and effectively preparing North Macedonia for upcoming European challenges.  

As part of his working visit to France, Minister Murtezani will hold additional meetings with the leadership of the French Development Agency and Expertise France, aimed at opening new channels for financial and expert support for North Macedonia’s reform and EU integration processes. 

Photo: Ministry of European Affairs