Skopje, 21 October 2024 (MIA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Timcho Mucunski said Monday that the new draft law on foreign affairs is complete and will soon be presented to the public through a regular procedure, which aims to integrate the ministry's new formal competencies through the law on the organization and operation of state administration bodies.

"We are exiting the frameworks of conventional policy and working on something more than what is considered economic diplomacy. Before coming here I was at a working group meeting at the Foreign Ministry and we already have a draft version of the law on foreign affairs, which will soon be presented to the public through a regular procedure, aiming to integrate all these formal competencies included in the law on the organization and operation of state administration bodies. This will help us facilitate diplomatic and consular missions so that finally they are more active and more engaged in attracting investments, and promote country's export capacities in order to create more and better paying jobs," Mucunski said while attending the Government event - Platform: 100% Dedicated to You, on the topic "Advancing Diplomacy and Foreign Trade, EU integration and Digital Transformation."

Minister for European Affairs Orhan Murtezani and Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski also attended the event. Mucunski announced that they are also working on merging the Agency for Attracting Foreign Investments and Directorate for Technological-Industrial Development Zones (TIDZ).

"We are also working on merging several agencies. Merging the Agency for attracting foreign investments and TIDZ Directorate into an institution, aligned with policies created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to promote the country as a potential destination for attracting investments. This one institution will also cooperate with all others, and all investors present in the country. Unfortunately, we had no single approach that facilitated a better environment for investors after arriving in the country, which is why we must work on creating better policies. I guarantee that the ministry will be the creator of policies that ensure higher standards, we will increase engagement, and our diplomatic and consular missions will be further engaged in the coming period," Mucunski noted.

He said that they have recently undertaken a large amount of specific engagements, such as talks with several investors.

"Some have already committed to investments in the country and we are working together with our economic chambers and entrepreneurs to promote the Macedonian economy and all its export capacities," Mucunski stated. ssh/ba/

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