site.btaBulgaria Can Share Valuable Experience of Environment Chapter with North Macedonia, Says Minister Sandov

Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policies and Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov was confident that this country has gained valuable experience during its EU Accession negotiations phase, especially in the Environment chapter, that can be shared with the Republic of North Macedonia. That would help North Macedonia satisfy the EU accession requirements faster, once Bulgaria’s veto on North Macedonia is lifted, said Sandov after the second meeting of the inter-agency working group on European Cooperation: Green Transition and Digital Transformation, and Rule of Law, which took place here on Thursday.

The session was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Good Governance Kalina Konstantinova, Minister of e-Government Bozhidar Bozhanov, Deputy Justice Minister Borislav Ganchev. North Macedonia was represented by Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Marichic, Deputy President of the Government in charge of good governance policies Slavica Grkovska, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Naser Nuredini, Minister of Information Society and Administration Admirim Aliti.

The working group signed a two-year plan for the 2022-2023 period between the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water and North Macedonia's Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning to fulfil the April 2019 treaty of cooperation in the field of environment and water.

A bilateral fund will be established to support civil society organizations that develop projects of significance for the two countries’ cross-border cooperation, Minister Sandov said. The evaluation criteria and the commission members who will evaluate the projects and their respective amounts of funding are yet to be determined.