Ohrid, 13 July 2025 (MIA) - The first 20-kilometre section of the Kichevo-Ohrid highway, from Vrbjani to Botun, has been put into operation. For the ruling party, the opening of this section is an indicator of the difference between them and the political opponents, and proof of the commitment and work of this Government, unlike the previous one which left it as a forgotten and abandoned project, with no workers, engineers, or machines.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, who attended the event, pointed out that it was not just a matter of putting a highway section into operation, but a moment of restoring trust and proof that changes happen when responsibility is taken with a clear conscience and sincere intention.

"Just one year after we took on the responsibility of leading the country, we managed to unblock one of the largest and most stalled infrastructure projects in Macedonia. A project that stood as a symbol of stagnation for years, a shameful image of a country that is stagnant, but today it is a symbol of the new times. Today, just one year after we gained the trust of the people, we show what real work means with deeds, not words. Every meter of the highway has been built with hard work, as well as with a clear will for progress and putting an end to the failures in the past," said Mickoski. 

He noted that the Government does not stop here, adding that next year the Kichevo-Ohrid highway will be fully completed and put into operation. He stressed that it will not be a random victory, but a planned success and the result of hardworking and committed efforts. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Aleksandar Nikoloski, said he agrees that this highway clearly shows the difference between the incumbent and the previous governments.

It is a great pleasure, Nikoloski stressed, to see the first 20-kilometre section and how citizens from all over Macedonia can use it in reality, to travel faster to Tetovo, Gostivar and Skopje, to connect Macedonia with Albania and of course to open up the large tourist centres of Ohrid and Struga to all who want to visit them.

"I promised that I would talk about the problems when we finish the entire highway at the end of next year. I just want to say two things. The first is that this was a symbol of the incompetence of the previous SDSM and DUI government, this was a forgotten and abandoned project that had no workers, engineers, or machines, whereas now it is a project that is a symbol and proof of the commitment and work of this government, and that is the key difference between us and our political opponents. Second, it is very significant and symbolic that we are opening the first section of the highway in glorious Debarca - there is a lot of history here, a lot of stories and now a modern highway," said Deputy PM and Transport Minister Nikoloski. 

He expressed hope that the second section will be completed very soon, and the entire highway will be completed by the end of next year. The total length of the highway is 57 kilometres.

Photo: MIA / Government