Institutional Set-up
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) as governmental agency within the frames of the Ministry are the main participants in the Swedish development cooperation. MFA establishes the priorities, while SIDA develops the programmes and makes decisions on the development cooperation with the member-partners (http://www.sweden.gov.se и http://www.sida.se)
Multiannual cooperation strategies, adopted by the Government of Sweden, define the priorities for bilateral assistance for the country in question. Like other Swedish governmental agencies, SIDA works independently under a framework established by the Government of Sweden, and approved by the Swedish Parliament, which, among others, defines the perspective cooperating countries, budget framework and the assistance purpose. In addition to bilateral cooperation with particular countries, Sweden allocates one third of the development assistance budget to the European Union and to other multilateral organisations, as well as to the United Nations and the World Bank.
The Global Development Policy was approved by the Parliament of Sweden in December 2003. It is an integrated policy for equitable and sustainable global development valid for all areas covered by the policy. However, the development cooperation plays a special role in global development policy and its overall objective is to help in the creation of conditions allowing the poor to improve their life conditions. The process of integration in the European Union is the main instrument for implementation of this objective in the Central and East European countries.
Sweden, through SIDA, has more than 120 countries-partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America, East Europe and Central Asia, and has developed actual cooperation programmes with more than 50 of them.
Within the development cooperation, SIDA has identified four strategic priorities for 2006:
Sweden in the Republic of Macedonia
Sweden has been present in the Republic of Macedonia since 1999. The total aid provided by SIDA until 2004 amounted to approximately SEK 244 million or EUR 27 million.
New Cooperation Strategy covering the period 2006-2010 was signed on 31 March 2006. The total financial package will retain the current framework of SEK 70 million (approximately EUR 7.5 million) on annual basis, for project activities determined in annual plans.
Within the development cooperation, SIDA has identified the following strategic priorities for the period 2006-2010:
The strategy is focused on agriculture and economic development. The objective is to contribute to sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector, with clear perspective for its further development according to the European requirements. At the same time, the support should contribute to improvement of living conditions of the poor people in rural areas during the envisaged sector restructuring.
After 2012 it is foreseen the closure of the development cooperation. For more information on completed and underway projects, visit the following link: www.sep.gov.mk/cdad
Sweden"s Regional cooperation with the Western Balkan"s, 2014 - 2020
SEA contact persons:
Sofce Zafirovska
Head of department for bilateral and multilateral assistance
e-mail: sofce.zafirovska@sep.gov.mk
phone: (02) 3200 243