The presidency of North Macedonia with EUSAIR and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative starts on June 1, 2025, and will last for one year.
On the margins of the tenth annual forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), taking place on the island of Crete under the Greek presidency, North Macedonia will today officially take over the next presidency of EUSAIR. The handover from the host, Greece, will occur at a ceremonial event, reported the MIA correspondent from Athens.
This is the first presidency since North Macedonia became part of these regional cooperation formats, and the Macedonian delegation is led by the Minister for European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani.
The jubilee tenth forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region started yesterday. It is part of the Greek presidency of the EU Macro-regional Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII).
According to the Greek Ministries of Economy and Finance and Foreign Affairs, the forum in Crete will include several key events. These are: a Ministerial Meeting of the Initiative with the adoption of the Crete Declaration; a panel of ministers for European programs; a ceremony for the handover of the presidency from Greece to North Macedonia; and a joint press conference of the two presidencies.
As announced by the Ministry for European Affairs, Minister Murtezani will participate in the ceremony for the handover of the presidency, the panel of ministers for EU funds, and the ministerial meeting, as part of the broader agenda of the Forum dedicated to strengthening regional cooperation, connectivity, and integration in the Adriatic-Ionian region.
The presidency of North Macedonia with EUSAIR and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative begins on June 1, 2025, and will last for one year.
The Greek presidency of EUSAIR began last year and will conclude at the end of this month.
– The goal of the Greek presidency and the Forum is to strengthen regional cooperation in the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region. As well, promoting the European perspective of the Western Balkans, highlight the role of social cohesion, emphasize blue skills, and address climate change in the new revised Action Plan.
They added that the tenth annual forum in Crete will highlight “the strategic role of Greece as a bridge between the European Union and the Western Balkans and will also confirm the country’s strong commitment to strengthening European cohesion, transnational cooperation, and sustainable development in the broader region”. (May 6, 2025)