Skopje, 23 July 2025 (MIA) – I am convinced that today’s exchange of opinions will bring us closer to the creation of a well-thought-out, credible and efficient screening mechanism that will strengthen our path to the European Union, as well as our national economic security, said Minister of European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani, at Wednesday’s opening of a two-day workshop discussing key aspects in the development of a new foreign direct investments (FDI) screening mechanism in North Macedonia.

The event is organized with the support of the U.S. Department of Commerce – through the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), in coordination with the State Department, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, and with the participation of experts from Czechia and Romania.

“This workshop is taking place at the right moment. We are currently in the process of drafting a national mechanism for screening foreign direct investments, a key political and legal undertaking for our country. Following the recent decision by the Government to renew the mandate, I am proud to lead this process in my capacity as Minister of European Affairs. We have reactivated the inter-institutional working group, and several of its members are present today. Within that group, a smaller drafting team has already begun actively working on the initial version of the law,” Murtezani said, adding that the experience of Czechia and Romania as EU member states with already established functional screening mechanisms will help the country define the direction of the mechanism.

This, he added, is not just a legal but also a strategic reform for the protection of national interests and the country’s investment potential.

“Our goal is to establish a mechanism that will protect national interests while being aligned with the EU’s rules and expectations, and also ensuring North Macedonia remains open for stable and productive foreign investments,” Murtezani said.

These activities, the Minister added, are also closely linked to the country’s EU accession.

"The European Commission, in its latest Screening Report for Cluster 6 – External Relations, clearly identifies FDI screening as a necessary obligation. The message from Brussels is unequivocal: all candidate countries must develop effective systems for identifying and mitigating risks associated with sensitive or strategic foreign investments, especially in areas such as critical infrastructure, advanced technologies, and data. In that context, I want to emphasize the importance of the Joint Minimum Standards developed for the Western Balkans through the Berlin Process. Although our mechanism will be tailored to our national context, we fully respect the value of regional coherence and take these standards into account in the further development of the process," Murtezani said.

Photo: Ministry of European Affairs