The European Union is allocating to Macedonia non-refundable funds in amount of 36.9 million euros in order the country to address several delicate issues related to reforms that need to be implemented on the path to EU accession.

This is enabled by the Financing Agreement of the Transition Assistance and Institution Building component of the 2010 Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), in Centralised and Decentralised Management, which was signed on Thursday in the Government by Vice PM for EU Integration and National Coordinator for Foreign Aid, Teuta Arifi and Alexandra Cas Granje - Director of the European Commission's Enlargement Directorate.

"Today's signing is a confirmation that the Republic of Macedonia has the capacity to mobilise finances from pre-accession funds and to make them available to a wide range of institutions and beneficiaries," Vice PM Arifi said after signing the document.

The funds, she added, first and foremost will be used for reforms in judiciary, reconstruction of facilities considered cultural heritage, support of the civil society and equality, fight against corruption, improvement of public services...

Thanking "Macedonia's friends from the European Commission", Arifi said she would count on their support and cooperation in the future as well.

EC Director Cas Granje stated that the Financial Agreement corresponded with the 2010 IPA Program - Component I, which was mainly related to technical assistance and building of institutions in order assistance to be provided in meeting criteria for EU membership.

"We are here to help you on your path towards meeting political conditions to access the European Union. Most of the funds will be used for reforms in the judiciary, fight against corruption, border control... We'll provide assistance for you to also meet economic criteria and we'll help you to be included in projects in connection to exchange of knowledge in order the citizens to learn how to be integrated into the EU," Cas Granje noted.

She thanked Vice PM Arifi and the experts for being involved in the program.

"Hard work is ahead of you - to implement the program. It must be done with a decentralized regime, which means the country will manage the funds. They have to be used in an adequate manner," Cas Granje stressed.