site.btaEU Digital Economy and Society Commissioner Gabriel Confers with Macedonia's Information Society and Administration Minister Mancevski

Sofia, February 2 (BTA) - EU Digital Economy and Society Commissioner Mariya Gabriel Friday conferred with Macedonia's Information Society and Administration Minister Damjan Mancevski. Emerging from the meeting, Gabriel said that this is a unique historical moment when the Western Balkans are high on the EU agenda.

The two officials discussed digital skills, access to digital technologies, cybersecurity, the need of broadband Internet. Gabriel urged for preventing digitalization from becoming one more criteria of isolation. She said that urban and rural areas should be given equal attention.

Mancevski thanked for the support of the European Commission and the personal support from Gabriel and the Bulgarian government towards his country's government and also towards all six countries in the Western Balkans. He said that digitalization and digital knowledge can be the mechanism for the people of the Western Balkans for easier and faster integration in the EU.

Mancevski invited Gabriel to open a high-tech summit in Skopje on April 18 and 19 which is expected to be attended by the prime ministers of the Western Balkans countries, ICT ministers, representatives of the countries of the Berlin Process, officials from Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Greeces, representatives of the high-tech industries and the social media.