Memorandum of Cooperation on Public Administration Reform signed by North Macedonia and Slovenia

The signing of the memorandum signifies a commitment to even closer cooperation and further strengthening the already good relations between the two countries, including through study visits by North Macedonian colleagues to Slovenia. As North Macedonia progresses through the EU accession process, its Government is seeking to draw on Slovenia's experience and best practices, having adopted the Slovenian public administration system as an example to follow. Slovenia is a steadfast supporter of North Macedonia's journey towards EU membership and looks forward to contributing constructively to the process by sharing its own expertise gained from accession negotiations.

Strengthening institutions and aligning with EU standards will make public administration more efficient, transparent, and citizen-friendly. "Today's signing marks the beginning of even closer cooperation, focusing on concrete projects and joint initiatives. We look forward to a fruitful partnership based on knowledge sharing and mutual support," emphasised Minister Franc Props in the joint public statement, also thanking the hosts for their warm welcome. He further noted that sharing experiences would be equally valuable for Slovenia. "I am confident that this partnership will deliver tangible results and serve as an example of the cooperation we are building with EU Member States throughout our integration process," added Minister Goran Minčev.

"The key focus of our cooperation will be on improving the efficiency of public services, streamlining administrative processes, and advancing digitalisation. Furthermore, we are placing special emphasis on human resource development, bearing in mind that a high-quality public sector with professionally trained and motivated staff is essential for successful administration," said Franc Props, the Slovenian Minister of Public Administration.

"This memorandum is an important step towards streamlining our administration, strengthening our capacities, and ensuring more efficient, and higher-quality services for citizens. We are committed to public sector reforms, and Slovenia's support will help us to achieve our goals more quickly and successfully,” said Goran Minčev, the North Macedonian Minister of Public Administration.

The Slovenian delegation is in Skopje for a two-day visit at the invitation of the North Macedonia's Ministry of Public Administration. In addition to today's formal signing of the memorandum of cooperation, several working meetings were held yesterday and today between directors-general and heads of directorates and services from both countries. These meetings focused on reforming salary and public employee systems in the public sector, as well as public procurement. Representing the Slovenian delegation at these meetings were Peter Pogačar, Director-General of the Public Sector Directorate, and Sašo Matas, Director-General of the Public Procurement Directorate.

The North Macedonian delegation presented its ongoing public administration reform activities and the challenges it is facing in this process. Consequently, the discussions primarily focused on Slovenia's experience in reforming the salary system, which came into effect this year, and the ongoing reform of the public employee system. In order to meet the objectives set within the EU accession framework, the North Macedonian delegation also expressed a keen interest in cooperating with Slovenia and exchanging best practice on training and educating public employees responsible for conducting public procurement procedures.

The two delegations agreed to cooperate, including by establishing joint working groups. These groups will develop joint solutions to the discussed topics, leading to effective outcomes and improved services for citizens.