Skopje, 12 May 2026 (MIA) - Connectivity is the sole equation for greater economic growth, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski in his address Tuesday at the Summit 2026 organized by Macedonia2025 held under the theme “Beyond 2025: Accelerating Growth. Inspiring Leadership”.

“We need to build the foundation, because it is missing and this is the essence. When you pose the question what advantage does the country have – the only comparative advantage we have with the competition in the region and in Europe is the fact that we are a place connecting two important European corridors – Corridor X and Corridor VIII, or northern and southern Europe, and central Europe and the Mediterranean through the Aegean Sea, as well as the Adriatic and Ionian sea with the Black Sea through Corridor VIII. Everything else, seen as a comparative advantage, can be found in any other competitor in the region or in Europe. If we do this, then we can develop everything. But we haven’t done it yet,” Mickoski said.

Presenting activities for the construction of motorways, railway, as well as energy and gas connections, Mickoski said the conclusion of these projects will be the Government’s top priority.

Mickoski said the year started well in terms of the economy in the first two months but was then affected by the conflict in the Middle East. 

”Unlike other countries we tried to solve the problem and we are handling things quite successfully even though we had exceptionally significant fiscal concessions which, at first glance, might be expected to impact the budget. However, the principle of economies of scale, which we applied, shows that so far not only have we not felt the effects, but they have even exceeded our expectations in times of crises. This means increased consumption of gasoline and diesel, which has a positive impact on the budget, and we have the lowest fuel prices in the region,” the Prime Minister said. 

The Prime Minister stressed that the country’s GDP has grown over the past two years.

“We have had over 3.5 percent real growth six quarters in a row. This year, according to the International Monetary Fund, we will reach a nominal GDP of US$22 billion, and if we draw a comparison between what we will end this year with and what we began in 2025, nominal GDP has grown three times as much these two years than during the 2018-2023 period. This isn’t enough and we need faster growth, but, when our largest trade partner has 2.5 times lower growth of GDP and consumption it is logical that we would also be impacted. We need to have great aims but also make realistic comparisons,” Mickoski said.

Regarding the future of foreign investments, the PM assessed that with the existing and announced ones the country is exhausting its human capacity, which is why, he said, it needs to orient itself toward other investments – regional projects that will unite countries through artificial intelligence.

At the opening of the Summit, Nikica Mojsoska-Blazhevska, CEO of Macedonia2025, stressed that the Government carries enormous responsibility, but is not the sole driver of change.

“Growth is the task of institutions, but also of companies; of education, but also of families; of politicians, but also of citizens; of the diaspora, but also of everyone living in Macedonia and everyone present in this hall today. If we want Macedonia to move forward, each of us must do our job better. Institutions must be more efficient, companies braver and more competitive, workers must have access to new skills and the will to improve, universities must generate knowledge relevant for the future, citizens must demand accountability, but also not live by rules we expect others to follow while we break them,” Mojsoska-Blazhevska said.