President Stevo Pendarovski received today representatives of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
At the meeting, the representatives of the Office informed President Pendarovski about the current activities in the Western Balkans region, as well as about their future projects to increase the participation of young people in decision-making processes in all spheres of social life.
In that regard, the RYCO representatives briefed the President on their recommendations for improving the situation with youth participation in the region in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the state of youth participation in the Republic of North Macedonia. The need to improve digital education, support and care for the mental health of young people and to encourage entrepreneurship were pointed out as part of the challenges faced by young people, which require greater institutional support.
President Pendarovski welcomed the initiatives of RYCO and stressed that it is of great importance in times of social isolation, young people to continue to motivate and cooperate through joint participation in programs aimed at regional cooperation and creating policies to deal with the consequences arising from the pandemic.
In that context, the President reaffirmed his full support for upgrading the overall education of young people through their networking, in order to find practical and inventive solutions to the challenges of the new age and prepare for the post-covid world. At the meeting, opinions were exchanged on the possibilities for promotion of the goals of RYCO through cooperation and realization of joint projects with the Presidential Center for Political Education and with “MladiHUB – Digital Youth”.
The Regional Youth Cooperation Office was established by participants from the Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, for the purpose of promoting the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation among youth in the region through youth exchange programs.
