The Norwegian Embassy attended the closing seminar of the project ”Cleaner and more cost effective industry in Macedonia”. This event was organized in Skopje on 21. March 2012 .
Following are Ambassador Paulsen's introductory remarks.
Distinguished friends,
I am very pleased to attend this important event.
Cleaner industries and reduced omissions of dangerous substances are requirements for sustainable development and sustainable growth. To meet benchmarks and apply recognized standards in this field is of the utmost importance. This is why Norwegian and Macedonian partners have implemented the project “cleaner and more cost effective industry in Macedonia”. It is now time to assess the achieved results in energy- and environmental performance of the Macedonian industry.
It is well known that Norway supports Macedonia’s euro-atlantic integration efforts and the country’s endeavours to meet requirements for membership negotiations with the European Union. But these standards and requirements are very important by their own right, regardless of Macedonia’s relationship with the EU. Norway is not a member of the European Union, but we apply many of the Union’s standards, not least in the field of the environment. Occasionally we implement standards which are more far-reaching than those recommended by the EU. We do this because it is good for Norway, not because we seek membership of the Union. That is not on my Government’s agenda.
Norsk Energi has been working with Macedonian partners for quite a while. The Norwegian Government is pleased to support this cooperation because we are convinced that your joint efforts in the field of energy, cleaner industries and environment are good for the country, good for the region and indeed good for Europe as such. The environment is transboundary, it knows no borders.
It is crucial to summarize activities and evaluate final results. In this perspective today’s event is very significant. I trust that we will all learn from the experiences and results achieved over the last few years and months. I wish you a very useful and productive seminar throughout the day.