Skopje, 7 April 2026 (MIA) - Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the second session of the Strategic Dialogue between North Macedonia and the U.S., held Tuesday in Washington, will be a productive day and is expected to end with a joint statement. He expects an investment in a major antimony production facility to be promoted, and the Chebren and Galishte project to be presented to potential U.S. investors. Macedonia is the first European country to have such a strategic dialogue with this U.S. administration.

The high-level government delegation in Washington D.C. is led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski and includes Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski, Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski, Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski and Energy Minister Sanja Bozhinovska.

“An exceptionally high-level meeting, including topics such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, applications and implementation, bilateral cooperation, energy and the infrastructure we are building and heavily investing in. This will also include cooperation in the defence industry. These are several areas where we expect significant progress to be made. At the same time, an investment in an important production facility is expected to be promoted. That concerns the antimony ore to be exploited near the village of Luke in Kriva Palanka. It is a rare mineral that could mean a great deal for our economy,” Mickoski said.

“Exploration there is nearing completion,” Mickoski added, expressing expectation that it will “begin very soon.”

“It will be exported to the United States. From the investors, I received information that the smelter would be built in Oklahoma, USA, a complete cycle. This is something very important for Macedonia as a country and for us as citizens,” Mickoski said.

In response to a journalist’s question about investing in data centers, Mickoski said he had met with four investment companies and that work is already underway on some of the investments.

“These are serious investors and investments. When I am able to speak more, I will share additional details, as I do not want to say anything until I am 100% certain it will happen. But if it does happen, let us assume that we will have significant added value for the Macedonian economy,” Mickoski said.

Mickoski added that Chebren and Galishte project will be presented to potential U.S. investors, something he said represents his personal goal and wish. “The Minister is present there with all the information about that project and it will be presented,” he said.

Mickoski said he is not aware of any non-paper circulating in the European Parliament related to resolving issues over the protocol with Bulgaria, linked to MEP Thomas Waitz.

“No, I don’t know about such a document,” he said during an event in Skopje’s Aerodrom municipality.

Photo: MIA