Skopje, 1 March 2023 (MIA) – We welcome the Economic Forum this year with another great challenge. The Russian military aggression against Ukraine completely changed the geo-political stage, resulting in great consequences. The previous Economic Forum was held at the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, and now, two years later, we face a global economic and energy crises, which are causing a slowdown of the economies and a growth of inflation at a global level, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski at the opening of the Skopje Economic Forum on Wednesday, organized by the Delphi Economic Forum and the Hellenic Business Association.

 “The Government managed to tackle the rising price of electricity and soften the price shock on the citizens through timely measures, with over 760 million euro. All measures were adopted in partnership with the affected parties, with the support of the countries from the region, the EU and our strategic partners the United States. We should not turn to the past, but we should focus on the future, on how to improve our economies and how to provide our citizens with a better standard of living,” said Kovachevski.

Kovachevski conveyed the conclusions of the recently held Munich Security Conference, where, he noted, North Macedonia was recognized as a factor of stability in the Balkans.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is no longer a question of whether the Western Balkans will become a part of the EU, but when it will become a part of the EU. I see the Economic Forum as an extension of our joint regional initiatives, including Open Balkan, where through various projects we are improving the lives of the citizens. North Macedonia is a NATO member, a country which began its negotiations with the EU, a participant in the Berlin Process, and a country which is currently chairing OSCE. We are a country that solves its open issues through diplomacy, which is why Russia’s aggression on Ukraine is incomprehensible and unacceptable for us,” said Kovachevski.

The PM assessed that North Macedonia is firmly moving forward its EU path, and thanked the country’s strategic partner, the U.S., and the EU member states, who have provided their full support for the country's EU membership, as well as support for the reform processes.

“Our country, together with Serbia and Albania, is already functioning as a mini-European Union. There are no longer any borders between these countries, and the citizens can work in any of the three countries, without needing work permits or encountering other barriers. In this way we are liberalizing the regional labor market,” said the PM.

Kovachevski said that the “green corridors” are of crucial importance for the trade exchange in the region and beyond, adding that we will need to work together in order to improve them and expand their use to also cover EU member states.

 “In 2022, one of the most difficult years in Europe, we managed to receive a record number of foreign direct investments. 430 million euro have been invested in the technologically industrial development zones, and 2.300 new jobs have been created with wages higher than the national average,” said Kovachevski, adding that the wave of foreign investments will continue in 2023 as well, due to the benefits that North Macedonia provides to the foreign investors.

He urged all potential investors not to hesitate, and to invest in the country, following the example of the investors who are currently investing in the country and provide European wages for Macedonian conditions, stressing that the Macedonian citizens, as well as the citizens of the Western Balkan region, deserve European working conditions and wages.

“For us 2023 is a year of new opportunities. It is equally important that we focus on using our natural potential in order to carry out a green transformation of the country, which will allow us to be independent in terms of energy and will offer certainty and a predictable economic growth. North Macedonia currently has only a single source of gas – Bulgaria. An investment is currently ongoing for a new gas pipeline from Greece, as well as an additional pipeline from Bulgaria. The second part of the investments are renewable energy sources. Apart from the support that we have provided for photovoltaics, we are also investing in small hydroelectric power plants, wind farms, as well as biogas plants,” said Kovachevski.

Several politicians are expected to participate in the forum, including the prime ministers of Kosovo and Montenegro, Albin Kurti and Dritan Abazović.

Albanian Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Artemis Malo, and the ambassadors of France, Greece and Sweden will discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on a national and regional level and assess future scenarios at the panel “One Year After: the Impact of Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine on Southeastern Europe.” Other panelists include the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, the Czech Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Martin Dvořák, and the EU Ambassador to North Macedonia, David Geer. ad/nn/

Photo: MIA