On July 22, 2024, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Bassoarrived in Macedonia on a two-day visit. The President of the EBRD and her team organized meetings with government representatives, representatives from the business sector and from the civil society sector. According to her statement, Macedonia is considered as an important investment destination. EBRD is the main institution in Macedonia in terms of investments in the country and to date, it has invested 2.9 billion euros in 190 projects.
On July 22, 2024, a meeting was organized with representatives from the civil society sector. Marija Sunchevska attended this meeting as a representative from Transparency International – Macedonia. The topic of the meeting was the challenges that Macedonia faces in terms of the fight against corruption, emigration, the opportunities for the business community and its support through various financial means, the opportunities for women-entrepreneurs and the various challenges that citizens face in everyday life.
The representative of TI-Macedonia emphasized the importance of the effective fight against corruption and the importance of all stakeholders getting involved in it, because only in this way it will be secured professional relationships in all spheres and enabling an environment that encourages everyone to function within the framework of the laws and the rule of law. The work of the organization was presented, first of all, through the functioning of the Center for Legal Advice (ALAC), which has been established 18 years ago and is a significant actor in the fight against corruption by animating citizens to take active participation in the fight against corruption.
The National Integrity System was also presented. This analysis enables an overview of 15 pillars of the state organization and their contribution in the overall system for fight against corruption. The good work of the State Audit Office and the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption was highlighted, but also the low scores of the judiciary and the public prosecution. It was emphasized that the business sector should be more actively involved in the fight against corruption.
The meeting took place in a pleasant and constructive atmosphere, in which the representatives of 7 organizations exchanged opinions and discussed with the EBRD representatives on the mentioned topics.
