THE UNITED KINGDOM EMBASSY

Help in the Process of Transition in Macedonia

The British Government has promoted political and economic cooperation, as well as encouraging the global development. It tends to help the process of transition in Macedonia in a way that promotes and respects the rights and interests of all people.
Through the British Embassy in Skopje, the British Government has established cooperation with the Macedonian Government and with the private and NGO sector in the direction of encouraging the development that will increase the welfare of the country and its citizens.
The basic bilateral support is provided through the DFID on the basis of an agreed Strategy for Support that is usually prepared for a three years’ period. At the moment, the programs/projects for the Republic of Macedonia are based on a temporal Strategy for Support that is to be developed into a complete strategy as soon as possible. The following fields are in the focus of the present bilateral program: efficient policy planning by the Government, due to the implementation of an overall reform program; increased capacity of the Government and other segments in the civic society for designing and implementing a just/fair social policy; establishing sustainable structures for support of small and medium enterprises; increased capacity for doing realizing international trade.

In order to accomplish results in these fields, DFID are supporting several bilateral projects, which include: reforms in the public administration; training for Macedonian Government representatives regarding the European Integration questions, especially questions which are subject to the Stability and Association Agreement; help for the Macedonian Government in its presidency with the Work Group for trade liberation and promotion; support for developing services that will provide information and advice for the citizens, through cooperation with local partners; institutional support of the Work Group in the Republic of Macedonia which is developing a Poverty Reduction Strategy; developing agencies for support of small and medium enterprises in Tetovo, Gostivar and Ohrid.

The British Government has also responded to the needs of humanitarian help that was awarded through the Humanitarian Affairs Sector within DFID.

In addition to the basic bilateral program, the British Foreign Office and DFID, through the British Embassy in Skopje, are providing help in the form of small grants for sustainable development projects. By now, they have financed many projects, implemented by local NGOs/other institutions in the whole country. These projects are directed towards promoting the ruling of the law; approach to justice, knowledge and information; improving the conditions for people with special needs; increasing the NGO sector capacity; improving the social services; increasing the interethnic toleration; monitoring of the elections by the citizens, etc. The British Embassy will continue to support the development in the Republic of Macedonia.