“Serbia Digitalizes” - a new step forward in the cooperation between Serbia and North Macedonia on the digital transformation of public administration

Thanks to this Agreement, which defines concrete activities, the already good bilateral cooperation between the two countries, established under Western Balkans digitalization projects, initiated by the Western Balkans Digital Summit in Skopje 2018 and Belgrade in 2019, is being improved upon, especially in the field of information and communication technologies and their application in the development of eGovernment.

This is also the first step in the implementation of the program “Serbia Digitalizes” by which the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment of the Government of the Republic of Serbia is moving towards the dissemination of knowledge and solutions in the field of digitalization of public administration. Namely, the idea and concept of digitalization that the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, set as one of the Government's priorities, which in a short period of only two years resulted in various eGovernment solutions, have been recognized in the countries of the region as an effective tool for establishing a modern public administration and its transformation into an efficient service for citizens and businesses.

 “The exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences, as well as regional connectivity and provision of electronic services within the region is of utmost importance for the further development of the Western Balkans. In the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, the entire region – provided we are smart, reasonable and committed, has the opportunity to catch up and create a better future based on innovation, knowledge and application of new technologies”, said the Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Mihailo Jovanović (Associate Professor, PhD).

 “With the Agreement we signed today between the Government of North Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia, we are intensifying the good cooperation that we have already started at the Digital Summits held in Skopje and Belgrade. The Agreement relates to the exchange of experiences regarding the new website concept of the Government and Ministries, as well as a new two-way method of communicating with citizens”, said Damjan Mančevski, Minister of Information Society and Administration of the Republic of North Macedonia.

He added that he was pleased that the Government of North Macedonia could use the experience of the Serbian Government, which has enhanced its website to enable two-way communication with citizens, which is the basis for public administration reform advocated by both countries.

The way in which the Government of Serbia has improved communication with citizens through the establishment of a new Government Portal and the “Keep in touch” system, enabling citizens to contact the Government or any ministry and receive a response within 72 hours, was the subject of a lecture delivered by the Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment to his colleagues from the Government of North Macedonia.

As was concluded at the Western Balkans Digital Summit, held in Belgrade in April, regional cooperation is the key to the development of the entire region and it is indisputable that only together we can move forward faster.