The opening ceremony, held at the Ministry of Finance in Skopje, gathered representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Skopje, and the CEF.  It also brought together participants and experts from the project’s first two workshops: “Training of Trainers: Public Finance Academy” and “Monitoring and Evaluation for Effective Training Content Delivery.”

In her opening remarks, Aleksandra Lulkoska, Deputy Head of the PFA, emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to professional growth and collaboration within the public sector. She expressed sincere appreciation to the CEF and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for invaluable support and cooperation. “Your guidance, expertise, and encouragement have been essential in helping the PFA advance its vision of becoming a modern, learning-oriented institution. You have played a key role in our journey toward becoming a true learning organization,” said Ms. Lulkoska.

She continued: “Our vision is to become a national leader in public finance education, contributing to a more efficient, transparent, and accountable public sector. Guided by our motto, ‘Smart finance for smart growth,’ we remain dedicated to fostering trust, innovation, integrity, teamwork, and excellence.”

H.E. Gregor Presker, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to North Macedonia, highlighted the strategic importance of investing in institutional learning. He reaffirmed Slovenia’s strong commitment to supporting the Western Balkans, North Macedonia in particular, through development cooperation projects aimed at advancing EU integration and membership.

Representing the CEF, Aleksandra Tekijaški highlighted the project’s long-term vision, emphasizing that “a learning organization is not simply a body that provides training or technical skills, but an institution that continuously evolves, learns from experience, and encourages every individual to grow and contribute to institutional goals.” She added that “as the Ministry of Finance chairs the CEF Governing Board this year, the CEF is honored to continue supporting Ministry's leadership and to share own experience in building a culture of learning that makes development steady, holistic, and sustainable - ready to face the challenges and opportunities that every reform brings.”

Through this partnership, the PFA LearnOrgLab project will strengthen the PFA’s role as a central hub for professional growth and knowledge sharing within the Ministry of Finance. By establishing structured learning and knowledge-sharing systems, the project will enable the PFA to deliver high-quality learning programs, enhance staff performance, and reinforce the Ministry’s capacity to implement public finance reforms effectively - with a clear focus on supporting North Macedonia’s EU integration efforts.