Skopje, 13 February 2026 (MIA) — Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on a visit to Munich to attend the 62nd Munich Security Conference welcomed the joint statement on reciprocal trade with the United States issued earlier Friday, saying the trade agreement the two countries will sign should boost the Macedonian economy.

"Let me congratulate the Macedonian citizens on the good news that arrived from Washington at the beginning of the day, which is the agreed joint statement between the Macedonian Government and the White House, related to the trade agreement the two countries will sign in the future — an agreement that will contribute to a better economy and more opportunities for the Macedonian economy," he wrote.

In a statement given to the press, Mickoski said signing the partnership agreement with the United Kingdom and closing the 26-year post-monitoring dialogue with the Council of Europe, along with the trade agreement with the US, "rounds off the diplomatic offensive in these first twenty months of this new government."

"These are historic agreements with historic success for Macedonian citizens and Macedonia as a state," the PM said.

Earlier Friday in Munich, Mickoski met with the management of 4iG to discuss an investment package worth EUR 100 million in several sectors in the country. He also had a working meeting with the management of Germany’s Schwarz Group, the parent company of Lidl and Kaufland.

"In addition to the existing investment portfolio, both companies, both the Schwarz company and the 4iG company, are planning additional investments in Macedonia in a completely different area, in a completely different portfolio. That is artificial intelligence, data centers and electricity production," Mickoski said.

Mickoski also met with European Council President Antonio Costa.

"At the meeting, we discussed Macedonia's European integration process," the prime minister said. "What is important for Macedonian citizens is that this process should not be bilateralized, that it should not be humiliating and that the Macedonian identity and the identities of Macedonian citizens should be preserved."

Mickoski in Munich is leading a Macedonian delegation including Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski and Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski.

As part of the Munich conference, they will meet with several European leaders as well as high-ranking representatives and heads of international security organizations. The talks will focus on regional geopolitical stability and the role of North Macedonia as a factor of stability in the Western Balkans and an active partner in NATO. mr/