On the occasion of the National Day of the Hellenic Republic, a formal reception was held, featuring a welcome address by Her Excellency Sophia Philippidou, Ambassador of Greece.
The event opened with a moment of silence in memory of the tragic incident in Kochani, where 59 young individuals lost their lives.
The Hellenic Republic, as a close and supportive neighbor, extended its #solidarity by providing medical care to several injured individuals in Greek hospitals.
The reception brought together a distinguished audience comprising #policy-makers, #academics, and representatives from the #business sector, creating a valuable space for networking and informal exchange.
Among the notable discussions:
With H.E. Michalis Rokas, EU Ambassador to N.Macedonia, we engaged in a productive dialogue on enhancing EU funding cooperation with neighboring countries, particularly focusing on the promotion and dissemination of successful EU-funded projects. We also discussed the organization of new joint events and initiatives in 2025, with a focus on strengthening regional cooperation, innovation, and skills development across both EU Member States and candidate countries.
In a conversation with Prof. Dr. Vesna Janevska, Minister for Education and Science, we exchanged views on the development of #ScienceParks and #TechnologyParks, as well as pressing challenges in #highereducation. There is shared anticipation for substantive reforms in 2025, as concerns persist over the continuous decline in educational quality and merit-based standards in past years.
A discussion with Dr. Sanja Bozhinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, focused on her potential participation as a keynote speaker at the upcoming #EUEnergyWeek in Brussels and the #InnovationSummit.
I emphasized the importance of government and ministerial support and institutional collaboration on EU-funded initiatives as ACRID Network is covering 10 countries among them Western Balkan Countries and Turkiye. Numerous energy projects have been implemented, but mentioned some ongoing projects, such as:
#SEBCoVEproject – Smart Electricity in Buildings, and
#ELeVATEproject – Women in NetZero Technologies,
both of which promote energy efficiency and NetZero innovation and woman engagement
are being implemented in collaboration with 12 EU Member States.
These engagements reaffirm the importance of strategic dialogue, cross-border cooperation, cross-sectoral cooperation,
and shared commitment to advancing European values and priorities through structured project partnerships and policy alignment.
