Programme

05/02/2026

09:45 | Welcome Coffee

10:00 | Welcoming addresses by

Bekim Sali, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs (tbc)
Ben Nupnau, Deputy Head of EU Delegation to North Macedonia
Violeta Jelić, President of the European Economic and Social Committee's Western Balkans Follow-up Committee

10:15 | Participation of organised civil society in accession negotiations with the EU and the implementation of the Reform Agenda

José Antonio Moreno Díaz, President of the EESC's Permanent group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law
Simonida Kacarska, Director of the European Policy Institute (EPI), Skopje
Branko Azeski, President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia (tbc)
Andrej Zorko, Vice-President of the EESC’s Western Balkans Follow-up Committee

Discussion with participants

11:30 | Coffee break

11:45 | The state of social dialogue and business community

Emil Krstanovski, ILO National Coordinator for North Macedonia
Slobodan Trendafilov, President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) (tbc)
Blagoja Ralpovski, President of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Macedonia (KSS) (tbc)
Vladanka Trajkoska, President of the Organisation of Employers of Macedonia (tbc)
Maja Papatolevska, Head of Labour Department from the Ministry of Economy and Labour (tbc)
Valentina Disoska, Association of Business Women

Discussion with participants

13:00 | Lunch break

14:00 | Enabling civic space, freedom of expression and fight against disinformation

Biljana Spasovska, Executive Director of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN)
Ionuţ Sibian, Vice-President of the EESC’s Western Balkans Follow-up Committee
Irena Ivanova, EU Delegation to North Macedonia
Ana Petruseva, Country Director, BIRN North Macedonia
Bardhyl Jashari, Director of Metamorphosis Foundation

Discussion with participants

15:30 | Conclusion of the hearing by Violeta Jelić, President of the Western Balkans Follow-up Committee, and end of the meeting

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