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Sharing diplomatic expertise with Macedonia

British Embassy launches project support for capacity building in the Macedonian diplomatic service.

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Project launch on capacity building of the Macedonian diplomatic service.

Ambassador Christopher Yvon and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia Nikola Poposki.

Over the next eight months, the Macedonian diplomatic service will have the opportunity to learn from the British diplomatic service through a capacity building initiative. The project was officially launched at a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Cooperation by the British Ambassador Christopher Yvon and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia Nikola Poposki.

Speaking at the launch, Ambassador Yvon said:

The British Foreign Secretary set a clear goal for the British diplomatic service - to be the best in the world. I am proud to be part of that service, and part of the effort in realising that goal. Through this project, Britain will share some of that expertise and experience with our colleagues in the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The training we will be offering is among the best we have and I can personally attest to that having spent more than 300 days of training over my 24 years as a diplomat. We also hope to benefit from your own wealth of experience too. Macedonia has some excellent diplomats in Skopje and around the world and I have had the pleasure of working closely with many of them.

The project will help the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia to develop a training curricula for several courses aimed at improving diplomatic expertise, international policy skills, influencing, networking and negotiating, communication and working across cultures. Furthermore the project will establish a new cadre of trainers who will help deliver courses to Ministry staff.

Published 12 July 2013