The role of the media and civil society will be crucial in explaining the process towards European integration, in analyzing the challenges ahead and in accessing the progress achieved, in helping to understand the development and bring the accession negotiations into the homes of readers, viewers and listeners throughout the country, says the European ambassador David Gere.

From now until 2026, with the support of the European Union, the project "Media for the EU" will be implemented - a civil society program for the participation of the media in the negotiations for membership of North Macedonia in the EU. The main goal of the project is to upgrade media capacities for coverage, monitoring and investigation of the negotiation process.

In the period from 2015 to 2020 in this country, the EU supported projects involving media and civil society in the media sector with grants totaling more than three million euros. More recently we have funded projects worth 1,4 million to support the harmonization of national legislation with that of the EU and much more. This project that we are launching today is just one more example of our ongoing support for this sector. We live in enormously challenging times. In the past three years alone, we have experienced an unprecedented global pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine that is challenging the foundations of postwar security and architecture. And, of course, humanity also faces enormous challenges ahead. And when we turn to EU accession in the last few years, we are witnessing a new urgency on the part of the EU and the leaders of the Western Balkans and others regarding the enlargement process, Geer said.

For the representatives of the media and civil society, the European ambassador said that they have a special responsibility to understand these developments, to explain and enlighten them, to question and question them, to suppress them, and for the authorities to continue resolutely with the reforms and for the EU to continue to fulfill them. his promises.

We need you as partners on the way to the EU. We want this country in the EU, but we can't do it without you, Gir emphasized, addressing the media and civil society.

Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Maricic stressed that we have never before faced the dangers of misinformation, which are orchestrated and organized and which are in direct relation with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as with the political instability in certain countries in the region, including our neighbors and which are in direct correlation with everything that is happening in our country, regarding the undermining of the pro-European sentiment among the citizens.

It is not true that the Macedonians and all other peoples and communities in the country who answer the polls are against the EU. I am still sure that EU membership has a popularity and support of 85 to 90 percent. Those who answer that they are no longer so enthusiastic are practically disappointed pro-European citizens because of what happened in the past years related to the blockades we faced. They are disappointed that we still do not have an exact date when we will become a member of the EU, as well as because of the pace of reforms, but I think that from that point we can make a turnaround if we work together and if we understand our own mission, says Maricic.

He adds that the Government, civil society and the media have a common mission that they should implement together, in order to bring the process of accession closer to the citizens, as it is long-term and difficult.