Poland Directly Supports RYCO Activities

TIRANA – RYCO Secretary General Mr Đuro Blanuša and on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Coordinator of the Western Balkans Summit in Poznań Mr Wiesław Tarka signed a donation agreement in Tirana on Tuesday.

The donation amounting 180.000 Euros comes after the successful participation of RYCO in the Poznań Summit in July this year when the progress made by RYCO as well as the importance of RYCO’s mission to support the regional exchange of youth in the Western Balkans were highlighted and commended during the Summit’s high level meetings.

Thanking the Government of the Republic of Poland for its support, RYCO Secretary General said that the organization welcomes the initiative of the government to recognize the importance of young people for the reconciliation and cooperation efforts in the Western Balkans.

“This concrete support will provide our organization with additional means to implement numerous activities across the region focused on the RYCO mission. We also look forward to continuing our work with our European partners on bringing the youth closer together,” Mr Blanuša pointed out.

Underlining that the youth issues were among the key topics of the Polish Presidency of the Berlin Process, Coordinator of the Western Balkans Summit in Poznań said that the donation is yet another evidence of an unwritten priority of the Polish Presidency of the Berlin Process that the young people should always be in focus.

“The Government of the Republic of Poland is actively supporting young people. Today, we are making a pledge for a better future of the Western Balkans, but also commending the work of RYCO as one of the most tangible results of the Berlin Process,” Mr Tarka concluded.

The donation aims to contribute to RYCO’s overall capacities in the implementation of activities in the areas of reconciliation, remembrance and youth cooperation in the Western Balkans. The activities will be carried out by RYCO in close cooperation with numerous partners on the regional and Contracting Parties levels.

We recall that the Chair’s Conclusions of the Summit reaffirmed the importance of young people for the future of the Western Balkans and the need to tackle brain drain while the leaders remain concerned about the persistent shortage of opportunities for young people in the region. They also agreed that increased efforts are needed in order to provide opportunities for youth that would encourage participation and entrepreneurship, modernize education, increase job specific skills and employment opportunities, and encourage brain circulation and social and economic inclusion.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up to receive news and updates