2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the partnership between North Macedonia and the World Bank Group. On February 25, 1993, the country signed the Articles of Agreement with three out of five organizations that make up the World Bank Group – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Since the first project for North Macedonia was approved in 1994 to finance the country’s robust economic reform program, the World Bank has been supporting North Macedonia’s economic and social development. Since 1994, the World Bank has approved 100 projects in North Macedonia totaling $2.2 billion. Over the years, the World Bank's program in North Macedonia has aimed to support faster growth, enhance competitiveness, and ensure inclusive development.
Photo: World Bank/T. Georgiev
To mark this anniversary, the event entitled Investing in People: Making Aging Work For North Macedonia will discuss how to make investments in human capital work toward a more prosperous future for people in the country. The conference gathers government officials and policy makers, representatives of development partners and international community, academia, private sector, think tanks, and civil society.
| 10:00 AM – 10:20 AM
| Welcoming Remarks Prof. D-r Predrag Trpeski, Dean, Faculty of Economics Ms. Antonella Bassani, Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank H.E. Dimitar Kovachevski, Prime Minister, Government of the Republic of North Macedonia |
| 10:25 AM – 11:30 AM | Panel 1. Aging and Migration: North Macedonia's Twin Demographic Challenges Moderator: Prof. d-r Nikica Mojsoska Blazhevski, Chief Executive Officer, Macedonia2025 Panelists H.E. Fatmir Besimi, Minister, Ministry of Finance H.E. Jovanka Trenchevska, Minister, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy Ms. Nina Fiti Nedelkovska, Advisor to Executive Director of the World Bank Ms. Xiaoqing Yu, Country Director for the Western Balkans, World Bank |
| 11:35 AM – 12:35 PM | Panel 2. Human Capital Investments for More Prosperous Aging in North Macedonia Moderator: Prof. D-r Vanco Uzunov, Professor, Iustinianus Primus Faculty of Law Panelists H.E. Fatmir Bytyqi, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Government of the Republic of North Macedonia H.E. Jeton Shaqiri, Minister, Ministry of Education and Science Mr. Paolo Belli, Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs, World Bank Ms. Blagica Petreska, Chief Executive Officer, Finance Think Ms. Rita Almeida, Practice Manager, Education, World Bank |
| 12:40 PM – 1:00 PM | Students’ Poster Session Students make 5-minute presentations |
| 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Closing remarks Ms. Indhira Vanessa Santos, Program Leader for Human Development, Western Balkans, World Bank |
North Macedonia—World Bank Group: 30 Years of Partnership
Details
- Date: Dec 1, 2023
- Time: 10:00
- Venue: Faculty of Economics, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje