The National Council for Sustainable Development convened for the first time on Thursday at the government. The council, which is expected to hold two annual meetings, aims at meeting activities envisaged by the Sustainable Development Strategy and coordinating them toward economic development in line with European values on green energy efficient and sustainable economic growth.

The council's strategic goal is to encompass economic, social and other environmental factors up until 2030. It comprises the heads of key ministries focused on implementing the strategy, as well as representatives of the Parliament, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, chambers of commerce, experts and NGO officials.

"The government has implemented numerous reforms in a bid to meet economic criteria that are vital for EU membership. The Sustainable Development Strategy aims to provide and present directions for increased economic growth in Macedonia and at the same time to provide directions for adequate protection and improvement of the environment," Deputy PM responsible for economic affairs, Vladimir Pesevski stated after the meeting.

The council at its first meeting, he added, discussed projects implemented by the World Bank, USAID and UNDP that serve as a technical assistance to the government and aim at establishing a firm analytical foundation that will help in defining directions of the policies during the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy.

"Governments find it harder to balance economic development with ecological sustainability. It is necessary to pick a direction of development allowing more incomes and clean and ecologically safe future," World Bank Country Director and Regional Coordinator for Southeast Europe, Jane Armitage stated.

Long-term sustainable development involves permanent economic growth, which provides economic efficiency, better health-care conditions, reduction of poverty, advancement of the quality of life and prevention of future pollution.