20.03.2013

Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference

Montreal, 18 March 2013

Director General of the Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of Macedonia Direct, Dejan Mojsoski Ph. D., in his role as a head of the Republic of Macedonia delegation, accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Minister Mr. Nikola Poposki, attended the ICAO Symposium which was held in the framework of the Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference.

This conference is held every 10 years and is under the patronage of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The main theme of the Conference was the liberalization of the international air traffic, ie its sustainability. Also it was discussed about the preparation of the action plan for the global regulatory framework. Other areas that were subject of this Conference were the ownership and control of the air carriers, market access, consumer’s protection and taxation.

At this Conference, the European Union and ECAC, which includes the Republic of Macedonia, have a common pan-European approach and working documents filed after the European coordination in order to support the liberalization, freedom of the access into the market, the development of the EU regulatory framework and ECAC for the industry and the introduction of passenger rights at the international level.

The Symposium was opened by Mr. Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General of ICAO, Mr. Taleb Rifai Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization and Mr. Mathias Ruete, Director General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission.

In the framework of the World Conference, the Republic of Macedonia continues its initiatives for making liberal air transport agreements, i.e. Open Sky Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with the liberal concept towards the air transport.

These open sky agreements and memoranda create legal framework for the promotion of international air traffic based on liberal concept and competition, and in order to allow to the traveling public greater opportunities and choice of services, and at the same time to ensure the highest degree of safety and security of air traffic from all types of threats.

Also they are in relation with the ICAO policy that this conference promotes, for global economic liberalization of international air transport and its development of competitive basis without any limitations on traffic freedoms, market access, tariffs, frequencies and capacity.

On the conference it was also highlighted the good relations of the Republic of Macedonia with many countries and it was emphasized that the conclusion of agreements and memoranda will contribute to the further development of these relations, and creating of the potential for possible investments in the economies, tourism development, intercontinental connectivity and solid connectivity through air traffic that would impact the improvement of overall relations between the two countries in respect of economic, scientific and cultural level, positive effects on the performance of air carriers as well as greater opportunities for the traveling public in both countries.

The Republic of Macedonia became a member of this world organization within the UN joining 191 Member States on 9 January 1993 with the adoption of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) under the Constitution Act from 1991. Its task is cooperation with Member States providing the international civil aviation to develop into a reliable, safe, regular and efficient transport, respecting the principle of equality of all subjects participating in the air traffic.