macedonia.usaid.gov
Mission Director: Michael Fritz
USAID/Macedonia
Skopje for USAID
Washington, DC 20521-7120
Tel: 389-2-308-0446
Fax: 389-2-308-0449 |
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Overview
Macedonia’s strategic location in the Balkans has made maintaining peace and stability within the country key U.S. priorities. To this end, the U.S. was a signatory to the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement, which brought an end to conflict between ethnic Albanian insurgents and government security forces. Macedonia’s main challenges are to reduce corruption, revive the economy and create jobs, and improve the quality of education. In December 2005, the European Council granted Macedonia European Union (EU) candidate status, but did not set a date for the start of accession negotiations. The U.S. supports Macedonia’s entry into the EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the USAID program focused on strengthening economic growth, good governance, and education.
Macedonia in Action
 Macedonia Agribusiness Grantees Plan to Expand Export Sales
On October 3, 2008, USAID’s AgBiz Program held its second Grant Agreements Signing Ceremony for Macedonian agribusinesses working in the wine, fresh vegetable, table grapes, and wild gathered product value chains... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Business Development
 Macedonian Producers Embrace Food Safety Standards
In September 2008, USAID’s AgBiz Program organized a three-day workshop on Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) system implementation, verification and maintenance in Macedonia... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Business Development, Health
 Survey Finds 70% Satisfied with Macedonia Court Services
A recent public opinion survey, conducted with the help of USAID’s Judicial Reform Implementation Project (JRIP), revealed that 70 percent of customers are satisfied with court services in Macedonia... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Democracy
 Macedonia Civil Society Flourishing with USAID Support
On June 6, 2008, the $5 million USAID Civil Society Strengthening Project (CSSP) marked the successful completion of its third year of working to make Macedonia’s civil society a more effective, influential, and permanent partner alongside government and business... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia
 Macedonia Visit Highlights Challenges and Potential
On June 8, 2008, USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore traveled to Macedonia for a two-day visit packed with high profile briefings, visits to USAID project sites, and meetings with private citizens and beneficiaries of USAID assistance... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Education
 Macedonians Respond with Enthusiasm to Philanthropic Challenge
The Center for Institutional Development (CIRa), one of the key implementing partners of the USAID-funded Civil Society Strengthening Project, recently undertook a groundbreaking program to encourage philanthropy among Macedonian companies and individuals... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Social Programs
 e-Schools Project Brings Technology into Macedonia’s Classrooms
In modern society, computer technology goes hand-in-hand with education and child development. Interactive educational software, online libraries, virtual chat-rooms where teachers and students can exchange ideas and methodologies–-all are effective tools that help children learn better, faster... Read More ...
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 Exchange Provides Seeds for Innovation in Table Grape Industry
With financial and technical support from the USAID Agribusiness Project, representatives of Macedonia’s five leading table grape businesses visited Cape Town, South Africa to learn from the owners of the best table grape vineyards in the world... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Business Development
 USAID, Partner Present Macedonia’s Civil Society Media Awards
A free and open society is characterized by independent and responsible media on one hand, and a vibrant and active civil society on the other... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Democracy
 Children Play Key Role in Recycling Project
Understanding the importance of a clean environment begins at an early age. This is why children are the primary target audience for the USAID/Macedonia Plastic Recycling Project’s outreach campaign... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Environment
 Study Finds 50% of Macedonia’s Women Fall Prey to Domestic Violence
The Association of Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women (ESE), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) supported by the USAID Civil Society Strengthening Project, recently released a comprehensive study on the state of domestic violence in Macedonia... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Social Programs
 New Law Boosts Procurement Transparency
The USAID Business Environment Activity and e-Government Project played a key role in the development of the new Law on Public Procurement in the Republic of Macedonia... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Rule of Law
 Citizenship Offers Hope for Macedonia’s Roma
For years, USAID has worked to help Macedonia’s Roma community claim basic rights—including the right to legal employment or unemployment registration, basic free health care, social welfare, and access to public education—through citizenship... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Education
 Renovations Completed at Eight Macedonian Primary Schools
Eight Macedonian schools received a total of $300,000 from USAID and $44,000 from their local municipalities for major renovations, which were recently completed as part of the first round of USAID’s Primary Education Project... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Education
 “Ecological islands” to Clear Streets of Recyclable Waste
The USAID Plastic Recycling project, through public-private partnerships, has been setting up a program to collect and process recyclable plastic bottles, and to turn recycling into a viable business in Macedonia... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Environment
 School Renovations Result in More Funds for Education
On October 25, 2007, the students of the “7 Marsi” primary school in Celopek, within the municipality of Brvenica, Macedonia, will mark the newest addition to their school building – new energy-efficient windows... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Education
 USAID Mourns Loss of Macedonian Megastar, Partner
Eleven days before the tragic automobile accident that claimed his life, 26-year-old pop megastar Tose Proeski allied with USAID to hold Macedonia’s largest-ever benefit concert... Read More ...
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 Landmark Macedonian Wireless Project Powers Down
Over the past three years, USAID’s Macedonia Connects project (MK Connects) brought free broadband internet to nearly 550 schools throughout the country, made internet affordable to local businesses and individuals... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Infrastructure
 U.S. Introduces $20M Guarantee Program for Macedonia’s SMEs
For the first time, USAID has introduced two Development Credit Authority (DCA) Loan Portfolio Guarantees totalling US$20 million to support the expansion of small and medium enterprises (SME), energy efficiency... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Business Development
 Bumper Crop, USAID Support Gives Exporter Entrée To U.K. Market
Dragi Stojmirovski has never seen so many watermelons—it has been a bumper year for the crop in the Balkans. Unfortunately, the resulting glut has led to plummeting melon prices and fruit lays rotting in their fields... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Business Development
 U.S. Donation Helps Macedonia Battle Wildfires
The U.S. Government, through USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), provided fire-fighting equipment valued at $50,000 to aid the Government of Macedonia (GOM) in responding to extensive wildfires burning... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Environment
 Macedonian Film Studio Credits USAID Support for Emmy Nomination
The Macedonian visual effects studio, FX3X, was nominated for a 2007 Emmy award by the American Academy for Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of the special visual effects the company... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia
 Menarchik Views Progress on Tour of USAID/Macedonia Projects
Cooperation with the U.S. military and private-public partnership were two major themes of Dr. Douglas Menarchik’s tour of Macedonia, which included visits to projects representing each of USAID/Macedonia’s three strategic objectives... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia
 Artisans Create International Demand for Macedonian Handicrafts
Spasika Tasevska has been an inspiration and a driving force for a group of 240 women and 34 teenagers from the town of Krusevo in her endeavor to turn her ideas, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit into projects... Read More ...
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 Macedonian Entrepreneurs Create 1,000 New Jobs
Over 1,000 new jobs and an estimated $15 million in additional exports are the result of a USAID-supported project in Macedonia. Six new companies—called “e-BIZ centers”—which provide high tech services... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Business Development
 A Marketplace for Education in Macedonia
During the second annual Educational Rendezvous in April, high school students marketed themselves to future employers at Macedonia’s largest recruitment event of its kind... Read More ...
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 US Pledges Support for Macedonia’s Primary Schools
The American people have pledged to provide funds to upgrade primary education in Macedonia through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by USAID/Macedonia Mission Director Patricia Rader... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Education
 USAID Initiative Matches Macedonian Grads with Employers
Matching university graduates with professional employment opportunities that require a baccalaureate or higher degree is the goal of a new initiative established by Macedonia’s South East European University (SEEU) with support from USAID... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Labor Markets
 Pop Star Partners with USAID for Macedonian Schools
In mid-March, USAID’s new Primary Education Project (PEP), a five-year initiative targeted toward all public primary schools in Macedonia, embarked on a National Information Tour that traveled to schools eight cities... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Education
 New Mission Director Sworn In for Macedonia
On January 17, Randall L. Tobias, Director of Foreign Assistance and the Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) administered the oath of office to Patricia Rader, who is now the USAID Mission Director for the Republic of Macedonia... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia
 Michigan Credit Union Honored for Macedonia Efforts
Michigan’s generous assistance to the nascent credit union movement in Macedonia has earned five individuals and the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL) a prestigious national award... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia
 Macedonia Modernizes Construction Permit Process
The process for receiving permission to start new construction projects in Macedonia is set to become more streamlined with the distribution of a Construction Permitting Package to all municipalities by USAID... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Institutional Reform
 USAID Project Changes How Macedonian Teachers View the World
Even though her classes are finished, Nevena Pecijarava, a chemistry teacher at a local high school is still at work. She’s in the computer lab preparing for tomorrow’s class... Read More ...
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 Macedonia’s Young Scientists Look to the Future
Eliza is good at math. She’s also good at science. So good in fact, that the 16-year-old was selected to travel from her native Macedonia to the International Conference for Young Scientists in Stuttgart, Germany recently... Read More ...
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 Macedonia’s Women Politicians Stir Things Up
When asked about her extraordinary baking skills, Blagorodna Mingova Krepieva replies with a twinkle in her eye... Read More ...
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 Macedonian Workers Get to Choose: Using Today’s Technology to Plan for
Tomorrow’s Retirement
The older we get, the more we worry about our pensions. For most of us, just the thought of sorting out the complexities puts us off... Read More ...
Related Items: Macedonia, Institutional Reform
 Door-to-Door Campaign Doubles Macedonian Municipality’s Tax Base
Little did Mustaf Mustafa know that just a year after finishing his University studies, he’d be in charge of a critical assignment that will have an enormous impact on his community.... Read More ...
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 Three Macedonian Mayors Join Forces, Conserve Resources
July 1, 2005 came and went. For Georgi Manushev, the Mayor of Bosilovo, this date represented both an opportunity and one of the biggest challenges he’d ever faced... Read More ...
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 In Macedonia, Democracy Heralds An End to the “Dark Ages”
“The afternoon classes were the most troublesome,” says Aleksandra Chortanoska. “We struggled to see what was written on the blackboard, especially those of us sitting in the back of the class... Read More ...
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 Young Macedonian IT Firms Join Forces to Win Major European Bank
Contract
It was a daring move. In September 2005, Infinite Solutions and EuroNetCom, two relatively new Macedonian IT companies, decided to compete for a contract with one of the largest banks in Europe... Read More ...
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 U.S. Faith-Based Investors Get Warm Reception in Rural Macedonia
Slave Velesanov isn’t the sort of person who lets opportunities pass him by. As a practicing Minister in Strumica, an agricultural community in the southern part of the Republic of Macedonia... Read More ...
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 Groundbreaking Democracy Seminar Draws Young Leaders from 17 Countries
"Young politicians should ignore boundaries," says Jay Footlik, a senior U.S. Democratic political advisor. Footlik and senior Republican political advisor Judy Black spent the week of October 23rd in Macedonia... Read More ...
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 Macedonia Trains its First Actuaries
When Sanja Tanchevska was pregnant one thought kept going through her mind: “I loved studying mathematics and I want to use my education—I don’t want to be stuck at home.”... Read More ...
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 Fighting Fires Brings Communities Closer
It was a cloudy afternoon in May when Tane Gorgovski got the call. A large barn was on fire in a small ethnically Albanian village about seven kilometers away from the Krivogashtani volunteer fire department headquarters... Read More ...
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 Citizens Help Mountain Village Progress
Economic Development Center helps local groups intent on boosting tourism in one of Macedonia’s prettiest villages... Read More ...
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 Citizenship Opens New World for Macedonia’s Roma
After decades, many Roma are now able to claim their basic rights through citizenship by taking advantage of a temporary legal window of opportunity... Read More ...
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 Giving Every Macedonian Student a Gateway to the World
Just a little over three years ago the President of Macedonia left for an official visit to China and returned with a promise and a dream: to increase the number of computers available to school children... Read More ...
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 First Graduating Class Makes Balkan History
There were over 350 reasons to believe in the future of Macedonia on a recent Saturday. When the first graduating class of South East European University (SEEU)... Read More ...
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 Private/Public Forum Created To Support Macedonian Entrepreneurs
The NECC was created in 2002 to provide a forum for constructive dialogue between the public and private sectors as a response to the obvious need to provide a place where serious issues facing business... Read More ...
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USAID Provides Aid to Macedonian Artisans
The Aid to Artisans (ATA) project works with artisans and small and medium-sized enterprises in Macedonia to develop local and export markets for traditional and contemporary craft products, thus increasing their incomes and creating employment... Read More ...
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 Every High School in Macedonia Now Has a Computer Lab
(Gevgelija) One year ago, the late President Boris Trajkovski cut the ribbon of the first computer laboratory in Josif Josifovski High School in Gevgelija... Read More ...
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 Students Show Pride Through School Renovation
For many schools in Macedonia, funds provided by the Ministry of Education are not sufficient to cover necessary maintenance or pay for school improvements... Read More ...
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Supporting Macedonia's New Cheese Exporters
There are 50,000 people in Macedonian who make their livelihood from sheep, mostly from the sale of lamb and cheese. In general, their standard of living is low, but Macedonians connected with the industry... Read More ...
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 Modernizing the Operating Techniques and Equipment in Macedonia
The Dushan Ciric company is one of 40 in a Land O’Lakes program backed by USAID to modernize the operating techniques and equipment of fruit and vegetable producers in Macedonia... Read More ...
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Civic Education: Macedonia's Path to a Civil Society
In September of 1998 Catholic Relief Service Macedonia (CRS), in partnership with the Macedonia Ministry of Education/Bureau of Education Development began implementing the USAID funded Civic Education project... Read More ...
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Wine & Cheese Festival in Ohrid Delivers Market Feedback for Traditional Macedonian Sheepherders
Macedonian sheepherders use traditional techniques to produce wonderful tasting feta and other sheep cheeses. Although cheese is one of their most profitable income sources, a majority of their production is sold from the farm gate to re-sellers... Read More ...
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Press Releases from USAID/Macedonia's
Community Self-Help Initiative
The Community Self Help Initiative is a USAID-funded program
in Macedonia that assists communities to plan and implement
projects that promote democracy and ethnic harmony, and provide
sustainable benefits to their inhabitants. The CSHI helps
foster self-determination at the community level and promotes
ethnic collaboration through economic development and participatory
community planning activities. See the links below for recent
examples of CSHI success stories.
 $25
Million Raised for Balkans Through Public-Private Partnership:
Donors Leverage Funds to Solidify Democracy
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the
German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), and the
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation are pleased to announce a
new $25 million initiative to support good governance in
Southeastern Europe. The grant-making effort, called the
Balkan Trust for Democracy, is a project of GMF made possible
through a public-private partnership between GMF, USAID,
and the Mott Foundation. Read
More ...
 Water
Means Life in Macedonia
Before the Veles water supply project was implemented, the
homes of the town’s happy children were at times without
water for days at a time, and even when water was available
it was usually insufficient due to lack of water pressure
in that hilly neighborhood. Read
more ...
 USAID
Program Brings Macedonia Education Experts to Seattle
Local education experts from Macedonia arrived in Seattle,
Washington on December 8 for a week-long study tour to the
United States sponsored by the USAID. A team of four education
consultants will be visiting Seattle, Washington from December
8 to December 13, 2002 to examine various alternatives in
the education sector and to exchange ideas and concepts with
educational counterparts in the United States. The team members
chosen for this program are all well-known experts in the
field of educational reform in Macedonia. Read
more ...
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