USAID’s Dible, EU’s Nupnau, and Swiss Ambassador Participate in IACD Marking

At Thursday’s marking of International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), in Parliament, USAID Country Representative Jeri Dible stated that corruption had to be eradicated in order for progress to be achieved, adding that citizens were asking for accountability.

“As long as corruption is considered the most effective way to do business in this country, interests of citizens will come second,” she noted, stressing also that independent media were those that should ask for institutional accountability and strengthen the voice of citizens.

Both the USAID Country Representative and the Deputy Ambassador of the EU, Ben Nupnau, hope that significant and concrete achievements in the fight against corruption would have been noted by next year’s International Anti-Corruption Day and the release of future reports.

The latter also stressed that advancing the rule of law was key to North Macedonia’s development and prosperity. Swiss Ambassador Veronique Hulmann Marti emphasised that though certain progress had been achieved throughout the years, significant steps remained.

Corruption, she assessed, remains the main problem for citizens, as well as the main obstacle on the road to access to quality and public services, EU integration, and general development of North Macedonia.