Skopje, 17 May 2025 (MIA) — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski has welcomed the Strategic Partnership Agreement with the United Kingdom, saying it would strengthen the local economy.

"This partnership means investments in transport, health care, education, defense, new jobs, strong economy and strategic positioning of Macedonia," Nikoloski wrote in a social media post after attending a press conference held earlier Saturday by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and British Ambassador Matthew Lawson to promote the new agreement between the two countries, which is to be officially signed in London next week.

According to Mickoski, the Strategic Partnership Agreement with the United Kingdom is the second pillar of the country's international positioning, right behind the Strategic Partnership Agreement with the United States. He said it was a confirmation of the country's stability, security, development and European future.

The Macedonian prime minister also said the deal would lead to the strongest economic cooperation with the UK so far. He had met Friday with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Tirana to discuss the Strategic Partnership Agreement. 

At the meeting, both two prime ministers said the agreement would result in stronger cooperation and closer relations.

In a social media post after his meeting with Starmer, Mickoski wrote that the agreement "represents a new chapter in the relations between the two countries." mr/