M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
M6 Ecucational Centre is societal transformation in times of increase program titled “M6 Step Forwarc is representing a platform through which prominent economic and political thought leaders wil iscuss and introduce possible solutions for the ongoing challenges that tackle societies, companies and individuals in MK and the region.
Dr. Ichak Adizes
World leading management expert and government consultant
Mr. Reinhard Priebe
Former Director from the European Commission
Mr. Zijad Bećirović, PhD
Director at the International Institute For Middle-East And Balkan Studies (IFIMES)
Mr. Goran Štrok
President and owner of “Adriatic Luxury Development”
Mr. Svetozar Janevski
President of “M6 Investment Group”
Mr. Zoran Martinovski
External advisor on Public Private Partnerships
Mr. Zoran Jovanovski
Economic expert
AGENDA
17:00 - 17:10
Conference opening and welcoming address - Elena Mladenovska Jelenkovikj
17:10 - 17:30
Dr. Ichak Adizes - World leading management expert and government consultant What is Keeping Underdeveloped Contries From Developing?
17:30 - 17:50
Mr. Reinhard Priebe - Former Director of European Commission What are the perspectives of the global politics and EU integration processes of WB countries?
17:50 - 18:10
Mr. Zijad Priebe - Director at the International Institute For Middle-East And Balkan Studies (IFIMES) Is the region COVID diplomacy of the region countries delivering progressive changes to stimulate economic development or just use a cheap workforce?
18:10 - 18:30
Mr. Goran Strok - President and owner of "Adriatic Luxury Development" Are the perspectives of WB economies developed through innovative strategic commitment and actions from the governments and companies?
18:30 - 18:50
Mr. Svetozar Janevski - President of "M6 Investment Group" The necessity of emphasizing the competitive advantages of the countries of the region as a starting point for the development of the countries' economies
SHORT BREAK
18:55 - 19:55
Panel Discussion - Mr. Reinhard Proebe, Mr. Svetozar Janevski, Mr. Goran Strok, Mr. Zijad Becirovic What are the perspectives for political and economic STEP FORWARD? Panel Discussion Moderatos: Ida Protuger, Sefer Selimi
19:55 - 20:00
Conference wrap-up and closing remarks
Leader Talks “Economic and Political Development Perspectives on the Balkans” – Conference Summary
After the successful conference, we are pleased to provide the key points from each of our speakers on the Step Forward’s Leader Talks “Economic and Political Development Perspectives on the Balkans” conference Together with the key points the panel discussion.
Dr. Ichak Adizes – Key Points
- Systems contain subsystems and each subsystem needs different times to change and adapt to changes.
- A sign that the system in the country is not efficient, is the people that leave countries. Measure, how many people want to come to your country vs. the ones that want to leave and you will now if the system is effective.
- Macedonia doesn't need to industrialize itself because it doesn’t have a competitive advantage. Bigger countries like China would eat it for breakfast.
- Make lemonade from lemons (added value) – to find the competitive advantage and to use country experience in hospitality and beautiful nature. To use nature and invest in green tourism, eco-tourism, is expensive.
- The manifestation of being underdeveloped is that the economic conditions are inferior. The usual remedy is to give the country economic aid to stimulate economic activity.
- To move a country from “underdeveloped” to “developing” requires energy—dedicated, focused energy—and anything that wastes the available fixed energy undermines the country’s ability to dedicate that energy to development.
- There are four factors that waste energy which is necessary for building a sustainable, developed country
- 1. Lack Of Social Integration Which Causes Conflicts, 2. Lack Of Entrepreneurial Spirit In The Local Population - Their Planning Processes And Expectations Are Long-Term 3. Lack Of Law And Order 4. Organized Religion
- THUS –What to do? Solutions offered
- 1. If Money Is Being Donated By Developed Countries, It Should Be Used To Help The Country Overcome Its Tribal, Religious, And Ethnic Conflicts—To Do Whatever Is Needed To Bring Tolerance, Mutual Trust, And Respect To The Warring Segments Of The Society. 2. Modify The Underdeveloped Country’s Educational System, To Teach Children Long-Range Thinking And Risk-Taking. Develop Entrepreneurial Spirit And Skills 3. Develop A Judiciary System That Is Well Paid And Well Regulated—Both To Avoid Corruption And To Help Bring Law And Order To The Country. 4. Reorganize Religious Norms To Give To People Rather Than Take From Them.
Mr. Zijad Becirovic – Key Points
- Leaders have the task to integrate the system – to build and maintain healthy systems – produce results on most efficient way
- Countries are facing brain drain, companies are facing lack of workforce – the countries must be prepared to overcome the xenophobia and import workers from Bangladesh and Philippines
- Regional perspectives lay in cooperation and inter-connections but this requires mutual trust and respect in order to have peace, stability and synergy in the region.
- Joint approach of WB countries would generate new quality and strength
- The rule of law must involve a fight against crime and corruption – to achieve this we must build or find visionary leaders.
Mr. Reinhard Priebe – Key Points
- EU is a club for countries to join with free will, but there are conditions to join this club
- EU shows that is unreliable in terms of starting negotiation process because Macedonia resolved the name issue
- To run reforms is good even before the start of the negotiation process because it would take less time to close chapters.
- Optimism that WB countries have a future in EU and the accession process is not a problem only for WB countries but for Eu as well.
- WB is not yet stabile and there is low economic development, but there is a certain improvement, yet these countries need to fight corruption
Mr. Goran Štrok – Key Points
- Businesses and countries need to focus on competitive advantage (CA)
- WB countries have tourism and natural beauties like CA.Macedonia has inherited beautiful nature and could invest In luxury green tourism
- Agriculture and organic
- There is a need for innovative solutions and diversified offers for the tourists. Even cross-country tourism should be developed that will promote the region
- There are many opportunities that countries need to be able to use them
Mr. Svetozar Janevski – Key Points
- The region faced dismantling of the system in the last 20 years. The deviation went so far that we are now facing non existing of any standards.
- Macedonia is a country that people want to escape from. We are facing immigration and brain drain. The governments should make a social study and identify the real reasons for immigration. By answering the question - What is needed for the young citizens to build sustainable life in the country? To define special programs.
- We should how can we build faster and better cohesion, but instead, there have been even greater differences and mistakes made which resulted in greater gap. Thus we need help from outside from the countries with more experience.
- Corruption is in every pore of the society and omination of an individual within the parties for their own personal interest
- Changes in the educational system. This can not be done on the surface, we have to make it from the bottom and make a system that will be accountable.
- We should stop the tribal wars and focus on joint interests. Our mutual interest is EU integration, NATO, development, citizens’ well-being, economic development, and fighting poverty.
- We have to create an added value, not only cheap labor. And to create a national product with added value. We can support the service industry but it doesn’t have a big added value. We need to provide higher productivity in the workforce.
- We have to move away from being import based country that only exports cheap labor, as is the case with the free zones and the massively subsidized FDIs, which only generate 2% of GDP and 3% employment while owning 50% of the exports in the country. No added value.
- What we need is an export-led growth, that incorporates more domestic components. We need to energize the entire value chain, to have real benefit for the less fortunate people, especially the ones living in the rural areas. One of the paths forwards is agriculture, which OECD has said is the sector that has 12% added value in the economy of the country and almost 25% of employment.
- However, we need to modernize the agriculture sector, as it stands at the moment, we are not even competitive in the region. With 150 euros revenue per hectare, of course, there will be severe discontent among the villagers. We need to make changes and increase the opportunities for the young people and the ones living in the rural areas.
- Additionally, we need to focus all our energies on renewables. We are seeing right now the energy crisis bubbling up. UK, France, and Germany are facing massive price increases in energy, especially now as the wintertime approaches. It most definitely will have a spillover effect in the region, especially in North Macedonia, a country with a 300 MW of energy deficit. We need to change the energy production law, which is not so friendly for private usage. And, we will need to de-bureaucratize the private investment in renewable.
Key Points from the Panel Discussion
- We haven’t done our homework and still have a long way to go in out path towards EU.
- Immediate set up of standards is needed in order to have competitive products and services on the foreign markets
- FDIs are good for the economy but not in a way to use the cheap workforce and be subsidized. Home investors should be incentivized to invest as well.
- Using domestic suppliers in the value chain is a prerequisite for faster economic development and defining the products and services with higher added value.
- Evolution of our societies is needed – to be able to adapt to the changes in the world
