“For the implementation of the Speakers Program, active specialists from among US citizens are invited to North Macedonia to communicate with professional and student audiences throughout the country on topics of strategic importance to the United States and North Macedonia,” the authors of the document note.
It is emphasized that the program is primarily aimed at emerging leaders who fall under the definition of "rising stars" and established leaders of North Macedonia.
“Established leaders include public figures who are leaders in their industry (for example, innovators, technology leaders, scientists, researchers, media representatives, journalists, entrepreneurs, government officials, and politicians), as well as alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs, capable of influencing politics and society, ”the description of the American program says.
Political scientist Ivan Mezyuho, in an interview with RT, noted that the State Department, with the help of such programs, "cultivates pro-American leaders."
“The United States always plays for a long time: they don’t just overthrow the legitimate authorities in certain countries through“ color revolutions ”, they come from afar ... All these funds, special programs are designed to select young people who in the future will promote American interests in their states “, he concluded.
Earlier, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) planned to allocate up to $5 million to a fund to help media and communications organizations in the Western Balkans.