Series of ReSPA Open Days Finished in Podgorica: Networking, Learning and Capacity Development Activities to Foster Policy Development, Digitalization and Accelerated EU Integration for the Benefits of the Citizens in the Western Balkans
Podgorica, 17 March 2023
The last in the series, ReSPA Open Day held today in Podgorica under the support and warm hospitality of the Human Resource Administration. The event brought together Mr Yngve Engstroem, Head of Cooperation, European Delegation to Montenegro and other highly-ranked officials from the EU Delegation, Mr Boban Jovović, State Secretary at Ministry of public administration, Mr Agron Camaj, Director of Human Resources Administration, as well as members of ReSPA working groups.
"Today's Open Day is an excellent platform to share our vision with our partners and stakeholders and present concrete actions and initiatives to build resilient, transparent and professional public administration that nurtures its employees and works for the citizens. We did what we said at the first Open Day – we listened and worked with our stakeholders to finalise our ambitious programme of work while opening avenues for the new initiatives," said Maja Handjiska-Trendafilova, ReSPA Director, opening the event. Director Handjiska underlined the importance of regional collaboration between key PAR actors and the support of the European Commission. She tanked Mr Yngve Engstroem and his team for undoubted support to ReSPA, visible even today.
Mr Yngve Engstroem underlined “Reforming the public administration is necessary to provide efficient and high-quality services to citizens and represents a ‘fundamental’ of the European integration process. ReSPA is in a unique position to provide for peer-to-peer discussions and exchange of best practices among officials that is crucial to advance reforms and the EU perspective of the Western Balkans. The European Union has therefore decided to provide a new grant to ReSPA for the period 2023-2025. We encourage the Montenegrin authorities to count on the support from ReSPA in identifying and addressing forthcoming challenges in the areas of public governance, in particular in the area of digitalisation of administrative services and more widely for the green transition.”
Mr Boban Jovović underlined that ReSPA recognizes the regional needs of the Montenegrian public administration both at the national and local levels and acting as a platform for collaboration always provides wide possibilities for new initiatives and partnerships which is evident even today.
Mr Agron Camaj pointed out that “public servants are guardians of public trust. Thanks to ReSPA we are united in the same goal, we have access to best practices and many ReSPA support mechanism instruments. That is why ReSPA stays our key partner at the regional and national levels.”
Series of the Open Days, held in March in the capitals of ReSPA Members, served the ReSPA team to present and discuss ambitious outcomes envisaged within 30+ networking, learning and capacity development activities. Shaped to foster policy development, accelerated EU integration, HR Management and digitalisation with the civil servants and citizens in the centre, ReSPA actions aim to propel the reform agenda and bring the region closer to the European Union.
