Mickoski and Filipce Comment on Foreign Development Assistance Pause and Tariffs Issue

Regarding the announcement that the new American administration will freeze USAID programmes, PM Hristijan Mickoski has said that even though every support to improve a country’s democratic capacities is welcome, the announcement should be an awakening for North Macedonia and make the country realise that, in the future, it will need to look after itself.

“We should roll up our sleeves and build a nicer country. If we let someone else defend us and some other to feed us, we are done for”, he said on Tuesday, answering a journalist’s question about the tariffs issue.

Regarding the USAID matter, the same day, SDSM leader Venko Filipce said the US should remain a partner of North Macedonia.

“The decision to freeze USAID programmes isn’t definite. We will see how it will develop in the period ahead because the new administration of President Donald Trump is entering talks and negotiations, wanting to achieve effects in what it’s announcing regarding the other countries”, he noted.