26 March 2026, ReSPA Premises

Director Handjiska-Trendafilova and the ReSPA team hosted a delegation of the European Commission’s DG ENEST on 26 March 2026 at ReSPA premises.

The delegation was led by Mr Thomas Hagleitner, Head of Unit A.1- Enlargement Strategy and Coordination at DG ENEST, and included Vasyl Zubaka, DG ENEST Policy Officer, and Bernard Brunet, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of European Union to Montenegro.

The meeting served as a platform for exchanging the latest developments and priorities on both sides, while also preparing the ground for the upcoming Meeting of the Ministers of Public Administration within the Berlin Process hosted by Montenegro on 21 April and ReSPA’s High-Level Ministerial Policy Dialogue planned for November 2026.

During the meeting, the ReSPA team highlighted key programmatic priorities for the coming period. Particular emphasis was placed on the further development of on-demand horizontal activities tailored to the needs of public administrations, as well as on the strengthening of the regional mobility scheme.

Thomas Hagleitner reiterated the European Commission’s strong support for ReSPA work. .

“The continued support of the European Commission is a strong endorsement of ReSPA’s mission and future direction. As we enter a new phase of our development, we remain committed to providing innovative, on-demand support to public administrations, strengthening regional mobility and creating more opportunities for cooperation and exchange. Together with the European Commission, we will continue bringing the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Armenia closer to the shared European Administrative Space,” underlined Director Handjiska-Trendafilova.