Skopje, 14 March 2023 (MIA) — German companies see North Macedonia as a good place to invest and move their production facilities from countries affected by the Russian war in Ukraine but local bureaucratic hurdles are slowing them down, according to the German Embassy’s chargé d'affaires Otto Graf.

“We hope North Macedonia will simplify and speed up these procedures,” Graf said after a meeting Tuesday between representatives of the East Committee of the German Economy and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi.

Graf noted that one reason behind the German companies’ interest in moving production to the country was that it was a member of NATO, which guaranteed its security.

Regarding the workforce, the German chargé d'affaires said German companies supported dual vocational education and contributed to ensuring there was enough skilled workers in the future.

Both he and Deputy PM Bytyqi agreed that the two countries had excellent economic cooperation, especially in the automotive and healthcare sectors.

“Germany is an important economic partner and our main export market,” Bytyqi said.

“Over 200 companies work with German capital in the country, employing around 20,000 people,” he added, pointing out that German companies were also reinvesting, increasing production, and creating more jobs.

Bytyqi also said the state was open to cooperation, offering a predictable business climate and support to investors.

The German business delegation included representatives of the energy, chemical, healthcare, banking, consulting, education, and aviation sectors. mr/