On 1-3 September 2011 a delegation from the NSI led by President Assoc. Prof. Mariana Kotzeva will be on a working visit to the State Statistical Office of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The Bulgarian delegation will share the NSI experience in harmonizing Bulgarian statistics with EU standards and the implementation of EU legislation. Bulgaria will present its long-time experience in the absorption of EU funding within the framework of the PHARE Programme in the implementation of projects in the field of macroeconomics, business, demographic and social statistics.

The delegation includes directors of Regional Statistical Offices (RSOs), who will present to the Macedonian colleagues from the regional statistical offices their participation in the Population and Housing Census 2011, held in Bulgaria in the period 1-28 February 2011.

Between the NSI and the State Statistical Office of FYROM an agreement for cooperation in the field of statistics was concluded. The NSI provided expertise in the field of European integration, management of EU grants and energy statistics. The NSI is ready to provide expert assistance to Macedonian colleagues in the future.

The visit is in line with the Government decision to update the contractual and legal base between the two countries in the field of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The bilateral meeting will contribute to accelerating the cooperation in the field of statistics and the further development of good neighborly relations between the two Balkan countries.