site.btaNorth Macedonia's Foreign Minister Osmani Presents First Report on Implementation of North Macedonia-US Strategic Dialogue

The first report on the implementation of the projects of the Action Plan within the framework of the North Macedonia-US Strategic Dialogue was presented at the Tuesday Government sitting in Skopje, North Macedonia's Foreign Ministry, which is coordinating the process, said on Wednesday.

The report, presented by Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, stated that within the Regional Initiatives section, US support has been secured for North Macedonia’s chairmanships at the South-East Europe Cooperation Process and the US-Adriatic Charter. “Both countries have an interest in deepening the US presence in the Balkans as one of the most important drivers of development and stability in the region," Osmani noted.

Within the Defense and Security section, joint training and exercises have been conducted with the US and with regional allies. US support has been secured for the continued development of North Macedonia's capabilities to meet NATO objectives, and cooperation has been secured to strengthen cyber defence capabilities, the report reads.

Efforts are being made to strengthen educational cooperation through the Human Relations projects as well as to raise awareness and media literacy, which is important for a society that demands accountability from public institutions. Cooperation in the framework of cultural exchanges will contribute to connecting the peoples of the two countries, as well as to the development of artists from North Macedonia and their representation on the world stage, the document states.

The implementation of the projects under the Bilateral Cooperation, Good Governance and Rule of Law component is underway in line with the already established priorities, with a special focus on the fight against corruption. Cooperation has also been strengthened in the Trade and Investment section, business cooperation, health, etc., the statement added.

North Macedonia is the first country from the Western Balkans to enter into a Strategic Dialogue with the United States since June 2022, and several areas of bilateral and regional interest were defined during the first meeting.