19. 12. 2022 | North Macedonia - Communication, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektnih aktivnostih v slovenskem jeziku 
The third workshop for the Working Group in charge of communication in the negotiation process on the content of Chapter 24 was held in Strumica, North Macedonia, from 13-15 December. During the workshops, the members of the group, coming from the Ministry of the Interior, the Financial Police, the Customs Administration, the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the National Security Agency, continued to strengthen their communication capacities both in the area of content and in the area of communication skills and techniques.
After years of waiting, North Macedonia finally started its EU membership negotiations this summer. The first reviews of alignment with the EU acquis have already started, so adequate and good communication of the Working Group with all stakeholders and in all directions is of utmost importance. Practical exercises and experiences from other countries are particularly welcome.
The participants of the workshops in Strumica received training in communication on the fight against organised crime (financial investigations, money laundering), migration (legal and illegal migration, readmission), and border management through interactive exercises and based on current messages from the latest EC Progress Report on North Macedonia. The exercises were conducted in two directions: on the one hand, training in understanding or interpreting the messages and information provided by the EC in the Progress Report, and on the other hand, training in information transfer or reporting back to the EC team members on the achievements and work carried out by North Macedonia.
The workshops also gave participants the opportunity to learn about the experience of communication in the negotiation process with colleagues from Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. They were very grateful for guidance on their good practices and advice on how to avoid bad ones.
The practical exercises also offered the participants training to improve their oral and written communication skills and techniques, both with domestic and foreign audiences.
These were the last workshops of the project Communication in Negotiation Chapter 24, which is implemented with Slovenian international development assistance from January 1, 2021, and ends on 31 December, 2022. The members of the Working Group in charge of communication in the negotiation process on the content of Chapter 24 confirmed that their communication capacities have been greatly strengthened and that they have made significant progress in this area. They expressed their deep appreciation for the knowledge, guidance, and training they have received and considered it extremely useful for the work they are doing and the work that lies ahead of them on the road to the EU.
The project is part of the activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
13. 12. 2022 | Danube, PR
The TalentMagnet consortium is happy to present the last eNewsletter of the project!
Two years of the project have already gone by in a flash, and the consortium has created important outputs, completed their pilot actions, tried out the tools prepared in the scope of the project, and more. Presentation of local plans for talent attraction and retention, all project activities, and a chat with TalentMagnet stakeholders were all a part of the final conference in Ptuj, Slovenia.
But we won’t spoil more about the content of the eNewsletter – you can read it here.
For more information about the TalentMagnet project, check out the Danube Transnational Programme website or TalentMagnet Facebook page.
7. 12. 2022 | POTC, PR
On December 5th POTC’s Program Council successfully concluded its 4th session with an agreement on an ambitious lineup of upcoming courses and trainings.
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
The session included an overview of this year’s activities, the proposed outline of activities in 2023, future financing, and recommendations for the programme ahead.
The Program Council expressed satisfaction with the work done by POTC in 2022. The Council Members shared their priorities regarding upcoming activities and also discussed ways of improving inter-departmental cooperation in order to support POTC’s future work and particularly the delivery of activities that require a greater deal of support from the official institutions.
The Program Council concluded with an official confirmation of the planned activities for 2023. The 2023 Work Programme will be published shortly.
6. 12. 2022 | PR
Yesterday, on 5 December 2022, we hosted a delegation of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia headed by its Chairperson, Prof Dr Nikoloz Samkharadze, for a discussion on the current situation in Georgia and the region.
Moderated by the Executive Director of CEP, Ms Katja Geršak, the stimulating discussion focused on the current state of affairs of Georgia, its Euro-Atlantic aspirations and the effects of the Russian aggression on Ukraine on Georgia.
During the discussion, Mr Samkharadze emphasised that in 2008 Georgia was the first victim of Russia’s aggression, and they warned the West that they will not be the last one. We can now see the story repeating in Ukraine. Russia still poses a substantial danger to Georgia’s sovereignty and statehood since it still hosts several thousand Russian soldiers on the occupied territories that can be mobilised at any moment.
Russia’s appetite for Georgia was not triggered by the talks of Georgia’s NATO accession but was present from Georgia’s independence onwards and has been manifested on several different occasions when the territorial integrity of Georgia was violated. Nonetheless, Georgia is a stabilising country in the Caucasus region and could further strengthen this role if it would be a member of NATO and the EU. The support of Euro-Atlantic integration is widespread – more than 80% of the population supports joining NATO and the EU; moreover, the integration is supported by all the political parties. Whereas “in reality, Russia has veto power over NATO accession”, there is no “reasonable explanation” why the EU did not grant EU Candidate status to Georgia. Mr Samkharadze and his colleagues see no other option than Georgia firmly embarking on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.
5. 12. 2022 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini.
On 28 and 29 November 2022, the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), in the scope of the project European Digital Diplomacy Exchange (EDDE), conducted a training in North Macedonia aimed at bolstering capacities of their strategic government communication capacities. The training brought together government communicators coming from different state institutions. Fully packed agenda aimed at strengthening their skills to be better prepared for the fast-paced and ever-changing digital communication environment.
At the beginning of the training, we were addressed by H.E. Ms Angela Agler, U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia and Mr Bojan Maricikj, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia.
After the welcoming remarks and icebreakers, participants took a closer look at the digital future, the policy as a lifestyle, digital campaigns, and how to work with Influencers. All four theoretical sessions were followed by short practical follow-up sessions in which local representatives presented the practical application of the theory through case studies. Understanding, identifying and responding to disinformation and social media analytics sessions were the last two theoretical sessions of the training. On the other hand, the practical part, consisting of three sessions, allowed participants to enhance their photography, videography, and graphic design skills.
The project is a result of cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, and the Centre for European Perspective.
The project is partially financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the scope of the program activities of international development cooperation.
The project is partially financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the scope of the international development cooperation program activities.
