RCC Secretary General takes part in annual Prespa Forum Dialogue 

Struga – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, took part at the annual Prespa Forum Dialogue (PFD) 2023, taking place 15-16 June 2023 in Struga, North Macedonia, where she received the PFD Award on behalf of RCC, spoke at the panel on regional cooperation, and held a series of bilateral meetings with EU and regional high officials. 

“Thank you Prime Minister Kovachevski. This prestigious Award means a lot to us at the RCC. 15 years is a junction of time when one moves from childhood to maturity. The Balkans have long been characterized by a diverse tapestry of cultures, languages, and painful conflict. Yet, it is precisely within this rich diversity that the true potential for cooperation lies,” said Ms Bregu while receiving the Award from the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski at a ceremony held last night in Struga. The RCC has been awarded for 15 years of dedicated work on strengthening regional cooperation and its contribution to development of the Western Balkans. 

Today Ms Bregu spoke at the high-level panel dubbed: Genuine Regional Cooperation Keeps the Boat Steady, together with Prime Minister Kovachevski, and Dritan Abazovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

“We should acknowledge that regional cooperation managed, as a mantra, in all these years to centre around itself all these economies that were once fighting each other.  Citizens in the region accept that the regional cooperation is an important process for them, and continue to put their trust in it year after year. It is not by chance that we see an increase in citizens’ perception on support to regional cooperation or good neighbourly relations. A term I like even more, because having a good neighbour is important in everyday life as neighbour’s door is the first you knock on when in need. That is what regional cooperation brought to the perspective in the Balkans. And despite all problems, we are cheering achievements of regional cooperation these days. Such as the three mobility agreements, part of the Common Regional Market, on who’s implementation we are still working, needing political will. President Roosevelt once said, ‘to reach a port we must set sail – sail not tie at anchor; sail not drift’.  We already have well prepared strategies, but for their implementation, we need more political will,” said Ms Bregu, at the panel.  

On the sidelines of PFD Ms Bregu met a number of EU and regional officials, speaking about regional cooperation, situation in the region, implementation of the Common Regional Market Action Plan, Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, but also about the preparations for the upcoming Berlin Process Summit that is going to take place in October in Tirana. Ms Bregu met: Mr Peter Burke, Minister of EU Affairs of Ireland; Ms Emilija Stojmenova Duh, Minister of Digital Transformation of Slovenia; Mr Azir Aliu Minister of Information Society and Administration of North Macedonia; Mr Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkans regional issues; and Mr. Ali Ahmeti, President of the Democratic Union for Integration. 

The Prespa Forum Dialogue (PFD) is a platform created by the Government of North Macedonia to gather leaders, organisations, think tanks and citizens to build long-term relationships, strengthen partnerships and foster dialogue for development of regional cooperation. More info at https://pfd.mk/