Press Conference Regarding the Implementation of the Japanese Cultural Grant Project

On September 20, 2021, in the formal foyer of the NI National Opera and Ballet, a press conference was held on the occasion of the successful conclusion of the capital ‘Project for Improving Musical Instruments, Sound, and Lighting Equipment’. This significant endeavor was fully realized through the cultural grant program of the Government of Japan.

High-ranking representatives and project partners addressed the event, including Nikola Dimitrov (Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs), H.E. Hironori Sawada (Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of North Macedonia), Irena Stefoska (Minister of Culture), Takeichi Jiro (Chief Representative of the JICA Balkan Office), and Vaso Ristov (Director of the NI National Opera and Ballet).

The initiative officially launched in August 2018 and was intensively implemented until its finalization in August 2021. Meanwhile, in 2019, an initial press conference was held where key bilateral agreements were signed between the state, the national institution, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with a total value of €663,697.

Thanks to these financial resources, the house modernized its stage-technical capacities, stage lighting, and acoustic resources, enabling world-class standards for the realization of all future opera and ballet productions.

The Director of the National Opera and Ballet, Vaso Ristov, expressed sincere gratitude to all diplomatic and collaborative teams. He underlined that the project presented an exceptional organizational challenge, but laid new foundations for enhancing artistic performance and opened opportunities for even broader international cooperation.