Kochani, 13 March 2026 (MIA) — The government is working to secure long-term work visas for truck and bus drivers to ensure they can enter and exit the Schengen zone without disruption, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski said Friday.

The proposed solution would regulate stays for Macedonian commercial drivers entering the European Union’s border-free area. Nikoloski told reporters that the Ministry of Transport was coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the prime minister’s office to secure these agreements.

"Switzerland already issues such visas for Macedonian carriers and Croatia has announced a legal procedure to adopt a similar law," Nikoloski said.

Technical meetings are held every Thursday to address the issue, he said, noting that while some neighboring countries had been vocal in the media about the issue, the Macedonian government was focusing on "constructive" and "office-based" diplomacy using documents and arguments.

"What Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do is their problem," Nikoloski said. "I am glad that our carriers realized this and that we are working together on solutions specifically for Macedonian carriers."

He recalled that the new Schengen entry rules are set to take effect in April, but the deadline for Macedonian truckers has been postponed until late September. The transport minister said he expected a permanent solution to be in place by then.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, too, said the problem would likely be resolved through annual multiple-entry visas for the Schengen Area. He said the government was currently in bilateral talks with several EU member states to finalize these arrangements. mr/