The tenth meeting of the Sectoral Working Group for Regional and Local Development was held in the Government

The tenth meeting of the Sectoral Working Group for Regional and Local Development was held in the Government. The meeting was chaired by Ercan Selimi, Deputy Minister of Local Self-Government, who called for an open dialogue and substantive exchange of views among all relevant stakeholders, with the aim of creating policies that are based on real needs and experiences from the field.
The representative of the EU Delegation, Ms. Marie-Madalene Kanellopoulou, emphasized the importance of the process of improving local self-government, decentralization, and regional development, for the overall progress of the country on the path to the EU.
Ms. Kanellopoulou welcomed the efforts of the MoLSG to improve the normative framework, especially for the current process of amendments and supplements to the regulation on inter-municipal cooperation, in the area of ​​international cooperation, as an opportunity to utilize the funds available to municipalities through membership in international groups.
She also stressed the importance of continuing the dialogue between different levels of government and continuing cooperation with the non-governmental sector in broad inclusive processes of consultation and cooperation, as a key factor for achieving progress in ​​decentralization as a multi-sector process.
At the meeting, Julijana Pavkovska Bocevska, State Secretary, presented the current activities and initiatives that the Ministry implements and coordinates with the support of the Government and partners, aimed at improving local self-government and encouraging balanced and sustainable local development in all planning regions.
The presentation also included the Report on the implementation of the activities of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Program for Sustainable Local Development and Decentralization 2021–2026, with a review of the results achieved in 2025, as well as the guidelines for the preparation of the new strategic document for the period 2027–2032.
Andriana Stojanovska, State Advisor for Regional Development, presented the activities of the Resource Center, as a key mechanism for supporting municipalities by providing expertise, tools and solutions to overcome the challenges they face.
In continuation of the meeting, Mitko Jankuloski, Head of the Sector for Regional Development, presented the activities related to the implementation of project financing programs and the Strategy assessment process.
The discussion was joined by Liljana Zaturoska, National Coordinator for Local Self-Government in the Government, as well as Ardita Dema Mehmeti, Deputy Executive Director of ZELS, who made a significant contribution to the exchange of opinions and recommendations.
The Ministry remains committed to building a partnership with local government, with a clear goal - creating a functional, connected, and prosperous state in which every region and every municipality have equal opportunity for development.