In a ceremony today opened by Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset during his state visit to North Macedonia, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Timcho Mucunski, Justice Minister Igor Filkov signed the Council of Europe Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law - reaffirming the country's commitment to ensure that AI innovation remains anchored in fundamental rights.
The Secretary General underlined the significance of the treaty for global AI governance. "As a treaty developed within the Council of Europe, it reflects a shared responsibility to ensure that innovation is advanced in line with human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Its growing support shows that states are coming together around common principles and taking definite steps to guide the development of AI in the public interest," he said.
On the first day of his official visit in Skopje, Thursday 7 May, the Secretary General met the country's highest authorities, including President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski and Minister of European Affairs Bekim Sali. He also held exchanges with parliamentarians, including the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and civil society representatives.
North Macedonia's strategic role for European stability
At a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Mucunski, Mr. Berset stressed the country's broader importance for the region and Europe as a whole. "North Macedonia plays an important role for stability and democratic resilience in the Western Balkans, and in today's geopolitical environment, maintaining democratic trust, inter-ethnic cohesion and strong institutions is essential not only for this country, but for the stability of Europe as a whole," he said.
Strong institutions and independent justice at heart of European path
During his meeting with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the first woman president in the country and a former member of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission, the Secretary General stressed the important role played by the Council of Europe's constitutional expertise in supporting the rule of law. "The Council of Europe has been a quiet but essential partner in turning fragile compromises into lasting democratic standards. Stability needs more than political agreements: it needs trusted institutions, rule of law and the same rights for all".
In his meeting with Prime Minister Mickoski, he noted that the Council of Europe has long been a stabiliser in North Macedonia and across the Western Balkans, helping to anchor reforms, strengthen democratic resilience and preserve interethnic dialogue when tensions rise.
Demographic resilience takes centre stage in shaping Europe's democratic future
Also on 7 May, Secretary General Berset co-opened the international conference "Leading change: people-centred paths to demographic resilience" together with senior United Nations representatives, highlighting the need for inclusive, forward-looking policies to address demographic challenges and strengthen democratic resilience. Framing demographic resilience as a core pillar of the New Democratic Pact for Europe, he underlined the direct connection between demographic trends, social cohesion and democratic security.
To conference participants, he stressed the need to place demographic resilience and democratic security at the centre of Europe's future: "When young people cannot afford housing, healthcare systems are overstretched, and trust in institutions erodes, democratic stability is weakened," he said.
Reaffirming Council of Europe support
The visit to Skopje also provided an opportunity to take stock of North Macedonia's active engagement with Council of Europe legal instruments and the importance of continued reforms in the judiciary, the fight against corruption, and the effective implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments, reaffirming the Council of Europe's readiness to support these efforts.
The Secretary General also reaffirmed Council of Europe support for the implementation of North Macedonia's Action Plan on the rights of communities, as a key framework for promoting positive inter-community relations, strengthening social cohesion and reinforcing democratic resilience in the country
He met with representatives of civil society organisations, as well, expressing appreciation for their crucial role in fostering democratic participation, strengthening social cohesion and keeping Europe's democracies vibrant and resilient.
The discussions also offered an early opportunity to exchange views on the priorities of North Macedonia's upcoming Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which the country will assume in November 2027.
Looking ahead to the Council of Europe ministerial conference in Chișinău next week, North Macedonia is expected to sign the Council of Europe Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, creating a mechanism to assess and compensate victims of Russia's war.
New Democratic Pact for Europe
North Macedonia and the Council of Europe
