Commissioner Navracsics in Serbia for Western Balkans ministerial
Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, will be in Belgrade tomorrow to open the annual ministerial meeting of the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training. All Ministers of Education from the region are invited to review the state of educational reforms in their countries, learn about the latest strategies in the EU, identify priorities, agree on follow-ups to studies and reports and discuss deeper cooperation. This year, the meeting will focus on the region’s research capacity and mobility opportunities. The Commissioner will also attend a panel debate on the impact of Erasmus+ with alumni who have benefitted from the programme in recent years. Commissioner Navracsics said: “Since its launch in 2012, the Western Balkans Ministerial Platform has become a valuable tradition. It provides a unique opportunity to exchange views on the situation of education systems in the region, their main priorities and challenges. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus programme, I would highlight that Erasmus+ now has 33 programme countries and enables cooperation with hundreds of other countries in the world, including all those from the Western Balkans.” The longer term perspective of the Platform is to assist the Western Balkans with their reform efforts and prepare them for EU Membership responsibilities including full participation in the EU’s education programmes. With research being one of this year’s two priorities, the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation is being held in Belgrade at the same time.
