11. 12. 2023 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance
Kliknite tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
The fight against organised crime and corruption is one of North Macedonia’s strategic priorities, and progress in this area is also expected from the EU. Macedonian investigative and prosecuting authorities are also committed to making progress in this direction and are actively working to improve their competence and skills in the field of financial investigations. In this respect, they rely, inter alia, on the expertise provided by the Republic of Slovenia under the International Development Cooperation Programme through the project ” Support in Chapter 24 – Financial investigations”.
As part of this project, fourth consultations along with third workshop for representatives of the Macedonian institutions responsible for financial investigations will take place in North Macedonia from 18 to 21 December 2023.
During the consultations and workshops, Slovenian experts will continue the progress already made in developing the capacity of Macedonian investigative and law enforcement authorities to carry out financial investigations and continue their assistance along the way.
Further information:
Milanka Ilić
Project Manager
Centre for European Perspective
Activities are funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Republic of Slovenia through its International Development Cooperation Programme and implemented in cooperation with the State Prosecution, Ministry of the Interior, and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
8. 12. 2023 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
CKliknite tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
The final event, with the presentation of two project drafts, plans for future cooperation and the signing of the sister cities agreement between Hrastnik and Drohobych in 2024, concluded a successful second mentorship visit from 27 November to 8 December 2023 under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
Today’s event concludes the mentorship visits, focusing on enhancing Drohobych’s capacities in project writing and project management and sharing good practices on housing, waste management, and tourism development with the help of experts, mentors and representatives from Hrastnik municipality, business and tourism sectors. In his opening address, the mayor of the municipality of Hrastnik, Mr Marko Funkl, reaffirmed Hrastnik’s willingness to cooperate with Drohobych, stating the intent of both municipalities to sign a sister city agreement in 2024, and commended the progress of mentees in the two weeks of work.
Joining the two-week mentorship in Hrastnik were Mr Yurii Yatskiv, Project Manager from the City Drohobych Institute, and Ms Olha Bunda, Representative of Drohobych Tourism, who were mentored by the municipality of Hrastnik mentor, Mr David Kranjc.
In the first week, mentees focused their attention on needs assessment, followed by the basics of project management, project writing and project funding and began preparing a frame for two projects, focusing on housing and tourism development, they wish to implement in Drohobych with the help of expert Mr Klemen Srna and partners in Hrastnik. The topics of the second week focused on housing, the development of waste management systems and tourism development.
Housing was a crucial topic of the mentorship discussions, as Drohobych is among several Ukrainian municipalities in West Ukraine dealing with a large influx of IDPs – with over 16 000 people seeking refuge in Drohobych with a population of 77 000 people, the situation requires immediate attention. Special emphasis was also put on already established cooperation between Hrastnik and Drohobych in the field of medical rehabilitation – with the visit to Hrastnik Medical Centre and discussions on the continuation of the work. The importance of the topic of housing for IDPs was addressed in a work session between mentees, Hrastnik mayor Mr Marko Funkl and Ms Tea Primon from the Department of Development, Property and Legal Affairs of Hrastnik, along with Mr Primož Siter, representative of Ministry for Solidarity-Based Future of Slovenia who addressed the housing situation in Slovenia and current activities of Slovenia addressing the situation, and Mr Rok Ramšak and Ms Maša Hawlina from Zadrugator who presented cooperative housing models, focusing on the financing and legislative aspects, as well as the presentation of good European practices and possible examples applicable to Ukraine.
The municipality of Hrastnik prepared a rich side programme for mentees, Mr Yatskiv and Ms Bunda, with site visits focusing on tourism at TIC Hrastnik and TIC Ljubljana, EU programmes and support at Europe Direct Zasavje and Representation of European Commission of Slovenia, and business development at Regional tech centre Zasavje and companies steklarna Hrastnik, 3D Prototip and Dewesoft. The topic of establishing an effective and transparent waste management system on the local level and following EU waste management regulations was presented by speakers Mr Igor Petek from waste management company Publikus, Mr Matej Kuhar from municipal utility service Hrastnik and Mr Enes Raković from waste management centre Ceroz Zasavje
Mentees from Drohobych came equipped with ideas for possible improvements in Drohobych, which became drafts in the first week and were built upon to become strong project concepts in the second week with the help from CEP Senior Advisor Ms Jelka Klemenc. To present projects from the perspective of project evaluators, the mentees were joined by project evaluation expert Mr Gorazd Jenko, who shared insights on ensuring project sustainability, pitching projects to donors and possible investors, and pitfalls of project writing.
The mentorship concluded today with an internal debrief between CEP, external expert Mr Srna, mentor Mr Kranjc and mentees, followed by a public presentation of the mentorship and project plans prepared with the help of new knowledge gained during the mentorship, which will be elaborated and finalized during the project until the end of 2024. Joining the closing event were also the representative of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ms Nataša Kos, Minister Plenipotentiary, who commended the successful activities of the mentorship and reaffirmed the support of Slovenia to Ukraine, and representative of the Embassy of Ukraine in Slovenia, Ms Natalia Markevych Pritsa, Deputy Head of Mission, who expressed her support for the presented project proposals and the proposal for the signing of sister city agreement between Hrastnik and Drohobych. Joining the event were also Mr Miha Mirt, Managing Director of the Public Institute for Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism – KRC Hrastnik and other representatives of the municipality of Hrastnik.
You can find the photos in the Flickr gallery below:
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia, to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
1. 12. 2023 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance
Kliknite tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
The fight against organised crime and corruption is one of North Macedonia’s strategic priorities, and progress in this area is also expected from the EU. Macedonian investigative and prosecuting authorities are also committed to making progress in this direction and are actively working to improve their competence and skills in the field of financial investigations. In this respect, they rely, inter alia, on the expertise provided by the Republic of Slovenia under the International Development Cooperation Programme through the project ” Support in Chapter 24 – Financial investigations”.
As part of this project, this year’s third consultation took place in North Macedonia from 27 to 29 November 2023, followed by a second workshop from 29 November to 1 December 2023 for representatives of the Macedonian institutions responsible for financial investigations.
The consultations in Skopje were attended by 19 representatives from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the Financial Police, the Customs Administration, and the Health Insurance Institute, while 11 representatives from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior and the Financial Police participated in the workshops that followed in Veles. Thematically, the activities addressed topics and dilemmas related to their current cases and were designed according to their real needs in carrying out financial investigations and confiscating assets of illicit origin and proceeds of crime.
During the activities, Slovenian experts in the field of conducting financial investigations shared their experiences with the Macedonian participants from the perspective of the role of the prosecutor’s office, from the perspective of valuing and calculating assets of illicit origin, and from the perspective of implementation and coordination of the criminal investigation of proceeds of crime.
During the consultations and workshops, Slovenian experts acknowledged the progress made in developing the capacity of Macedonian investigative and law enforcement authorities to carry out financial investigations and assured them that they could rely on their continued assistance along the way.
The assistance will be implemented again by the end of this year in the form of a new workshop and consultations. The third workshop of this year will take place in North Macedonia from 11 to 13 December 2023, followed by the fourth consultation of this year on strengthening the capacity of Macedonian institutions to carry out financial investigations from 19 to 21 December.
Further information:
Milanka Ilić
Project Manager
Centre for European Perspective
Activities are funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Republic of Slovenia through its International Development Cooperation Programme and implemented in cooperation with the State Prosecution, Ministry of the Interior, and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
27. 11. 2023 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
Mentees from Drohobych, representatives of the Municipality of Hrastnik and CEP have kicked off the three-week mentorships under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ today.
The mentorship visit of Drohobych Urban Hromada was kickstarted today in Hrastnik and hosted by Hrastnik Mayor Marko Funkl. This core activity of the project “Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Ukraine” contributes to the processes of the long-term partnership between Drohobych and Hrastnik, which is focused on development, modernization, and reform. An intensive 2-week working visit will contribute to transferring targeted and needs-based knowledge and deliver sustainable results, working toward a long-term partnership between the partner municipalities.
The opening session was followed by the first interactive workshop on project management, one of the main topics of the mentorship contributing to strengthening institutional capacities of the hromada in the field of project planning and obtaining external funding. Joining us from Drohobych are Ms Olha Bunda and Yurii Yatskiv, who will receive targeted knowledge of Hrastnik’s experience and good practice on topics of high priority for Drohobych – housing policy, waste management and tourism development. With the assistance of CEP, the visit will enable kick-starting the development of several projects, including in the fields where Drohobych and Hrastnik have previously focused their partnership.
With a rich side programme, Hrastnik will also present successful cohesion projects in practice.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
24. 11. 2023 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
The Municipality of Hrastnik will, on 27 November, host the second of the three-week mentorships under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
We begin the second mentorship enthusiastically due to the positive experience during the first mentorship visit, and we look forward to hosting representatives of Drohobych in Slovenia.
The second mentorship will focus on the needs expressed by the Drohobych municipality (housing, waste management and economic rebuilding with the help of tourism) as well as addressing topics crucial for further development of the municipality, such as project management, project writing and topics related to EU enlargement process on the local level.
Hrastnik municipality, with its experience in the establishment of housing cooperatives as one of the solutions to housing problems and cooperation in the waste management centre CEROZ Zasavje, offers knowledge not only through the presentation of good practices but also through site visits of stakeholders involved in the housing and waste management system.
In the next weeks, representatives of Drohobych will explore more about project planning, preparation and management, project funding, preparation of housing strategies and alternative housing models and waste management on the local level through interactive workshops and site visits.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
23. 11. 2023 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
A signing of a Cooperation Agreement between Municipality Domžale (Slovenia) and City of Hnivan (Ukraine) concludes a successful first three-week mentorship visit under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
The solemn signing of the Cooperation Agreement at the closing ceremony of the mentorship visit was initiated by Mr Kuleshov, PhD, Mayor of the City of Hnivan and Ms Renata Kosec, M.SC, Mayor of Domžale and concludes the first three-week mentorship visit, focusing on sharing good practices on the civil protection system and project management. Cooperation agreement marks the first milestone of the partnership between Domžale and Hnivan, which began with this project and will continue based on the developed project concept in the field of strengthening the resilience of the municipality of Hnivan against natural and human-caused disasters with the invaluable contribution of good practices and knowledge from the Municipality of Domžale.
Mr Vitalii Mazur, Deputy Mayor of the City of Hnivan and Ms Ivanna Kuzminska, Specialist of the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture of the Hnivan City Council, were the mentees joining the three-week mentorship in Slovenia, mentored by Domžale mentors Mr Peter Gubanc, Head of Property Matters Department and Deputy Chief of Civil Protection at Domžale Municipality and Mr Aljoša Repanšek of the Public Utilities Department and member of the municipal headquarters civil protection.
In the first week, mentees focused their attention on the basics of project management, project writing and project funding and began preparing a frame for two projects they wish to implement in Hnivan with the help of expert Mr Klemen Srna and partners in Domžale. The topics of the second week focused on establishing a strong civil protection system in a hromada – with Domžale being a very positive example of the system running in practice. Mr Mazur and Ms Kuzminska first met with a representative of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief of Slovenia, Ms Dobnik Jeraj, who presented the civil protection system on the national level. Representatives of Domžale Civil Protection presented their work in theory and practice, with the mentees meeting several stakeholders involved in running the civil protection system in Domžale (firefighters, voluntary fire brigades, cave rescue service, radio club Domžale, K9 rescue, Red Cross Domžale, scouts, first aid team and more). The second week also offered an opportunity for a visit to the central wastewater treatment plant Domžale-Kamnik, which was one of the additional topics of interest for the Ukrainian guests – Ukraine adopted a law on waste management in July 2023, which complies with EU waste management regulations, but the recycling and waste management system in Ukraine is still in its early stages with about 10% of the waste being recycled, so a visit to a wastewater and waste management facility, co-funded by EU funds, was an important point in the mentorship programme. Ukrainian mentees expressed their admiration for the working of the civil protection system as it involves many stakeholders but is still extremely reactive in all crises. Mentees also experienced one example in practice – a fire in a high-rise building, where they saw the system working in practice.
The third week focused on the topics of local administration related to the EU enlargement process, where the Mayor of Domžale, Ms Kosec, presented the important topic of transparency, integrity and tackling corruption at the municipal level. Additionally, representatives of Domžale municipality presented their experience and best practices in project preparation and cooperation. The municipality of Hnivan showed a positive attitude towards further development and capacity building in the field of relevant processes related to the processes of adaptation to EU standards during the accession process of Ukraine. The third week was also focused on drafting written tools with support from CEP Senior Advisor, Ms Jelka Klemenc, in creating practical and actionable plans for applying the adapted good practices in Ukraine. On Tuesday, the mentees were joined by an evaluation expert, Mr Gorazd Jenko, who presented project applications from the perspective of project evaluators, sharing insightful details on what evaluators focus on when reading project applications, how to ensure project sustainability and what could be the deal breakers when writing a project proposal.
The mentorship concluded on Wednesday with an internal debrief between mentors and mentees focused on the planning of future activities between the municipalities, followed by a closing event, where the Mayor of Domžale, Ms Kosec, and Mayor of Hnivan, Mr Kolushov, signed the Cooperation agreement – the first of its kind in this project cycle, signifying the importance of the project for Ukrainian and Slovenian side. Following the signing was the presentation from the mentees, who presented two project plans prepared with the help of new knowledge gained in the three weeks of activities, which will be elaborated and finalized during the project until the end of 2024; both are projects of cross-border cooperation between municipalities in accordance with the objectives of the project. Joining the closing event were also the representative of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ms Nataša Kos, Minister Plenipotentiary, and representative of the Embassy of Ukraine in Slovenia, Ms Natalia Markevych Pritsa, Deputy Head of Mission, who shared their thoughts on the activities already done and congratulated Domžale and Hnivan of the formal signing of the Cooperation agreement.
Photos of the visit can be found in the Flickr gallery below:
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia, to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
