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North Macedonia to US

Dec 4 - 13 2019 San Francisco, CA; Oakland, CA; Sacramento, CA; Fremont, CA; Walnut Creek, CA; Livermore, CA

#acyplNorthMacedonia

Exchange Outline

Delegation visits Google headquarters

In December, 2019 in partnership with the North Macedonian Embassy, ACYPL welcomed 8 distinguished professionals from North Macedonia to the United States. The delegation arrived in Washington, D.C. and then traveled to Northern California where they spent time in Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Livermore. The delegation represented 4 different political parties in North Macedonia and included a Mayor, Assembly Member, political spokesperson, and members of the North Macedonian private, public, and NGO sectors.

The delegation experienced a packed itinerary in DC, which included a diverse range of topics, from American political and electoral strategy to tax policy. Highlights from this portion of the exchange include meeting with The Honorable Adrian Smith (Tanzania 2004) and a discussion with Mr. Paul McCarthy, Regional Director for Europe for the International Republican Institute, regarding IRI’s work with North Macedonia. The group also toured the Pentagon and met with Desk Officers for North Macedonia at the U.S. Department of State.

Delegation visits California State Capitol with State Assembly Member Jim Cooper

The schedule didn’t slow down once the delegation arrived in Northern California! Delegates were welcomed by state host Ken Maxey (North Macedonia 2019) who arranged for them to meet first with The Honorable Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California, and Dr. Markos Kounalakis, Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Conversations with Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan, Member of the California State Assembly Jim Cooper, representatives of Kids Teach Tech are among the many highlights of the program in Northern California.

The delegation was also fortunate to experience the hospitality of the area, enjoying lunch and a wine tasting at Darcie Kent Vineyards, Wente Vineyards, and a delicious meal at Sakoon with Mr. Harpreet Sandu, Executive Director of the American Sikh Caucus Committee. When they weren’t meeting with elected officials or trying new cuisines, the delegation was touring the California State Capitol, and even had the opportunity to attend a Golden State Warriors game!