Skopje, 26 May 2025 (MIA) - Minister of European Affairs Orhan Murtezani told the National Euro-Integration Council on Monday that the Reform Agenda 2024-2027 arising from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is no longer a document on paper but a daily task of institutions and a technical framework of concrete reforms in several sectors.

"Today, we are talking from a position of concrete results. We are talking from a position of experience, commitment and structured operations that transform reality. North Macedonia is no longer a country that plans its European integration, it is already implementing it. Our Reform Agenda 2024-2027 arising from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is no longer a document on paper but a daily task of institutions, a map of the political vision and a technical framework of concrete reforms that alter the modus operandi of the public sector, business community, judiciary, education and energy sectors. North Macedonia has already been recognized by the EU as the first country in the region to receive pre-financing within the Growth Plan. This is not a symbolic gesture but a direct validation that the Government is able to create, promote and implement reforms that are coherent, credible and quantifiable," said Minister Murtezani.

Murtezani said the reforms are already present on the ground and implementation of the Reform Agenda in 2024 was carried out in continuity despite the political transition, with all initial reform steps already fulfilled.

"We have submitted a request for allocation of EUR 17.1 million from the European Commission, as part of the EUR 750 million intended for North Macedonia," noted Murtezani.

In parallel, he added, work has already started on new steps due by June, encompassing four priority areas: energy, digital transformation, business environment and rule of law.

"In the capacity of National Coordinator for the Reform Agenda, let me use this opportunity to send a call for joint mobilization and involvement of all stakeholders, including lawmakers, for timely fulfillment of undertaken commitments. This especially relates to the set of legislation in the field of digital transformation and judiciary," said Murtezani.

He said the Reform Agenda is not an instrument for external use but a national framework for structural reforms in line with European policies, focused on domestic transformation.

"An agenda for effective administration, transparent institutions, inclusive education and economy aligned with the European market. Our European future is not a projection but a reality, one that we build with each act that is adopted, each process that is implemented, and each initiative that moves the country forward," concluded Minister Murtezani.

MIA file photo