SKOPJE – To support the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine in preparation for the bilateral screenings of the EU Acquis Chapters 14 and 21 on the Transport policy and Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community in cooperation with the authorities of North Macedonia, organised a two-day workshop in Skopje 11-12 February 2025.
The event brought together public officials and professionals from Moldova and Ukraine to connect and learn from experiences of their colleagues from North Macedonia who went through the process of bilateral screening for the two EU Acquis Chapters.
The upcoming bilateral screening meetings between the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and the European Commission, are scheduled for June 2025.
Experts from the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry for European Affairs of North Macedonia shared insights and lessons learned from the screening process across all transport modes and sectors, sparking meaningful discussions with their counterparts from Moldova, and Ukraine.
Beyond knowledge sharing, this workshop was an opportunity to strengthen professional ties and build a long-lasting connection among transport experts from the region.
In his opening remarks, Mr Matej Zakonjšek emphasised that this kind of events embodies the core mission of the Transport Community – a knowledge-sharing platform where its members collaborate as partners. “By sharing experiences and best practices, we are getting even more together connected and making our transport networks stronger, more integrated, and safer,” he pointed out.
Welcoming the workshop participants, State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport of North Macedonia, Mr Stefan Volkanovski, pointed out that the event underscores the importance of sharing knowledge, firsthand experiences, insights, and lessons learned from the bilateral screenings. He also emphasised the good relationship between North Macedonia, Moldova, and Ukraine and underlined his and his colleagues’ readiness to continue sharing their experiences with Moldova, and Ukraine on their path towards the full EU membership.
Ms Mona Bjorklund, Director for Policy and Coordination at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, welcomed the initiative and support of North Macedonia. She expressed hope that by sharing experiences, Moldova and Ukraine can build on this momentum and further accelerate their EU integration efforts.
The workshop has been organised within the project “Participation of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the Transport Community”, funded by the European Union.
