Dear visitor, Welcome at the website of the Netherlands Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia.  Let me start by wishing you a very healthy, happy and successful 2010! The Netherlands has longstanding relations with Macedonia. Macedonia  forms part of the Dutch World Bank Constituency and till 2011, Macedonia is a Partner Country in the context of Dutch Development Co-operation. Macedonia is also a future NATO partner and an EU candidate country. Dutch EU pre-accession instruments like MATRA are open for Macedonia with a view to contribute to effective transformation and reform processes assisting Macedonia to become a successful, prosperous and reliable EU member state, sharing our values regarding rule of law, democracy, tolerance and human rights.   Partly because of the books of the Dutch writer A. den Doolaard large amounts of Dutch tourists visited Macedonia in the past. Again we see a growing number of Dutch tourists, discovering the beauties of the country and the hospitality of its people. Our embassy aims at substantially increasing the presence of Dutch companies in Macedonia and further boosting the trade and investment figures. We have some interesting support programmes available to that end. A Dutch-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce will be established in January, providing adequate services to any Dutch company interested in trade or investment opportunities in Macedonia, whenever necessary in close coordination with the Embassy. Important news is the direct flight Amterdam-Skopje/Ohrid that will be executed by the biggest Dutch Charter Carrier Transavia on a weekly basis - and if necessary more often - between April and November 2010, bringing Macedonia at a 2,5 hour distance from Schiphol Airport and providing for an excellent hub to any Macedonian flying homefrom the US or Canada.      We are an enthusiastic team, ready to assist you and serious about our open-door-policy! Please feel free to get in touch with us with any questions, queries or suggestions you have ( sko@minbuza.nl)! Simone Filippini Ambassador
The Real Man Never Hits a Woman!   Campaign against domestic violence implemented by UNFPA and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy with the financial support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

 

Group of Pensioners Visited the Children in the Kindergarten "Detelinka" On 11 March, there was an event held at the kindergarten Detelinka in Madzari neighborhood in Skopje, where a group of elderly paid a visit to the children in the kindergarten and spent couple of hours with them in joint activities. This event is part of a larger project supported by the Netherlands Embassy and implemented by Humanost NGO, which takes place in 2010 in a number of kindergartens around Skopje. Read more...

New MATRA Project on Technical Co-operation between the Dutch and Macedonian Customs Administrations On 9 March 2010 a ceremony for the opening of the new MATRA project on technical co-operation between the Netherlands Tax and Customs Administration and the Macedonian Customs Administration, supported by the Netherlands with €300,000 will took place in Skopje. This event will also mark the closure of the five-year bilateral technical co-operation project between these two institutions in the period 2005-2009, which was funded by the Netherlands in the amount of €420,000. Read more... Download the press release  here.

Ambassador Simone Filippini's Column for Koha Daily: Forget about Pink and Blue! Today is World Women’s Day. A day which suddenly reminded me of my childhood. Why? Because 8 March is about equality between women and men. An equality that in many places in the world remains a farfetched dream but that was an integral part of my upbringing.  Read more...

Macedonia Joins Travel Mediamatic - a Network of Cultural Professionals from all Over the World One of the first results of the Creative Cities workshop that is taking place in Skopje from 1 to 5 March with the support of the Dutch Embassy is the virtual presentation of the Macedonian cultural scene on the internet. Check  http://travel.mediamatic.net/search?q_mm=skopje for more information!

Creative Cities Workshops Supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands From 1-5 March, a series of workshops and round tables on the topic of Creative Cities will be held in Skopje. The events are supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Skopje, and they will be on the specific topics of Creative City Concept, Mediamatic Travel Website and Creative Planning. The cities of Skopje, Bitola and Tetovo and the municipalities of Aerodrom, Centar and Karpoš will participate at the workshops, along with representatives of The Hague, and a number of representatives of Macedonian and Dutch civil society organizations that work on culture. Read more...

Queen Accepts Resignation of Labour Ministers The Queen has accepted the resignation of the Labour (PvdA) ministers and state secretaries and has asked the caretaker government to work towards the early dissolution of the House of Representatives of the States General so that a general election can be held on 9 June 2010.  Read more...

Looking Closer into the Implication of the New PIFC law From 11 to 15 January 2010 experts from the Macedonian and the Dutch Ministry of Finance held discussions with the participants of the Macedonian ministries and institutions about the implications and the implementation of the new Public Internal Financial Control (PIFC) law. Read more...

The Consequences of the Government Crisis for the Mission in Uruzgan The fourth Balkenende government was unable to agree on whether the Netherlands’ military involvement in ISAF after December 2010 should continue. For that reason, the Labour Party ministers and state secretaries have tendered their resignation, and the Christian Democrat and Christian Union ministers and state secretaries have indicated their readiness to give up their portfolios. Read more...

Visit of Dutch Tour Operators to Macedonia In the period 14 – 17 February 2010, a group of leading Dutch tour operators and journalists from the most renown Dutch media visited Macedonia in order to get introduced to its touristic potential, natural beauties and holiday possibilities. Read more..

Macedonian Delegation Led by Minister of Labour and Social Policy Xhelal Bajrami Visited the Netherlands On 15-17 February, a Macedonian delegation led by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Mr. Xhelal Bajrami, visited the Netherlands as part of the project “Strengthening National Capacities to Prevent Domestic Violence 2008-2011”. The delegation consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Institute for Social Affairs, Ministry of Interior, civil society, UNDP and Netherlands Embassy in Skopje. The purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the way domestic violence is dealt with in the Netherlands. Read more...

The First ORIO Call for Proposals for 2010 Opened On Monday 15 February the first ORIO Call for proposals for 2010 has been opened. The Call will close on 26t April 2010 at 17.00 CET. ORIO (Facility for Infrastructure Development) is a grant facility funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the responsibility of the Minister of Development Cooperation  to encourage public private partnerships in infrastructure development in developing countries. Read more...

Risima Risimkin A Guest Choreographer at the Rotterdam Dance Academy In January 2010, Macedonian choreographer Risima Risimkin was a guest to the Rotterdam Dance Academy, one of the most prestigious modern dance academies in the world.She was a guest choreographer for their most recent co-production project called  "The 3rd”, a project implemented as a co-operation  between TANC FEST SKOPJE and the Rotterdam Dance Academy.  The cooperation is one of the activities jointly realised in the last few years between these two dance centres (INTERART and the Rotterdam Dance Academy), and is a part of the greater idea for establishing a Modern Dance Academy in Skopje, Macedonia. Read more...

New Charter Flights between the Netheralnds and Macedonia As of 29 April 2010, Transavia, daughter company of the Dutch national carrier KLM and the biggest and most trusted charter company from the Netherlands, will execute at least 27 charter flights from the Netherlands to Macedonia and vice versa. As a result of the arrangement between Transavia, Karatanova Tours, a Dutch-Macedonian Tour Operator, and Schiphol Airport, this company will fly from Amsterdam to Skopje and Ohrid at least once a week in the period April – October 2010. This will bring Macedonia at a 2.5 hour distance from Schiphol, one of the biggest transit airports worldwide. Download the press release (English and Macedonian)  here.

Management Development Trajectory at the Customs Administration In the period 11-14 January 2010 a promising start has been made of a management development process at the Macedonian Customs Administration. This process is the result of an initiative, taken by the Director of the Macedonian Customs Administration, Mr. Vanco Kargov, and is performed in cooperation with two experts from the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, Mr. Clemens van Merwijk and Mr. Paul Boer. Read more...

Rijksakademie Call for Entries The Rijksakademie Residency in Amsterdam announces its call for applications for resident artists for the residency that will take place in January-December 2011. The Rijksakademie is an international research and production place for emerging, professional artists from all continents. The Rijksakademie is more than a residency. It has extensive technical facilities, a library and an art collection. In addition, the Rijksakademie offers basic facilities such as a studio, assistance by technical specialists, a work budget, and mediation with accommodation and grants. Read more...

IV Business Newsletter Issued by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands  The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has prepared the fourth edition of the business newsletter. The new, restyled issue provides relevant news on developments in the economy and trade sector in Macedonia, tenders, investment possibilities and financial instruments available to Macedonian and Dutch companies. Follow this link to download the newsletter and please send us your comments and suggestions on  sko@minbuza.nl.

Dutch Embassy Congratulates Macedonia on the Visa Liberalization Decision The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Skopje welcomes the decision taken by the member states of the EU that Macedonia's citizens will be able to travel without visa to the Schengen area as of 19 December 2009, and congratulates the authorities as well as the citizens of Macedonia on this important achievement. The new visa free regime will apply to all holders of biometric passports, who will be able to travel to the Schengen area for up to 90 days per six-month period. The Schengen area is made up of all EU Member States, except the UK and Ireland, as well as three non-EU members, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Download the info-brochures:  EN,  MK,  AL.  Read more...