In London, on Wednesday, PM Hristijan Mickoski, together with Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski, held a meeting with the French Minister Delegate for Europe, Benjamin Haddad.
“At the meeting, we talked about deepening cooperation between our countries, especially in the context of European integration, regional stability, and common priorities in the frames of the EU”, the PM said.
Views were exchanged also on ongoing European and global challenges, while PM Mickoski and the French Minister confirmed commitment to advancing partnership in dialogue as well.
On his part, Mucunski said the government’s strong commitment to reform processes and EU membership, as well the need to speed up that process, had been highlighted at the meeting. Regarding his meeting with UK counterpart Keir Starmer, Mickoski stated that they had talked about deepening bilateral cooperation and the UK’s support for countries from the region.
“We’re seriously committed to implementing the G2G”, he stressed.
Mickoski’s activities in the English capital included a meeting with Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic as well.
“Croatia is a great friend of ours and a strong supporter on the EU path”, he underlined.
Furthermore, in London, Mickoski signed an investment memorandum with US-UK company Burstock, saying it would invest up to 150 million dollars in Macedonia’s arms industry. As he added, 1,000 new, high-paying, jobs will be opened.
“This is just the beginning”, the PM noted, adding that investments in the military arms industry were expected to exceed one billion dollars.
Transport Minister and Deputy PM Aleksandar Nikoloski, who’s part of the Government’s delegation, too, met UKEF representatives. With huge support from the U.K., Macedonia is starting the project for a high-speed rail on Corridor 10, he stated, describing it as the “most important regional project”.
European Affairs Minister Orhan Murtezani, who’s part of the delegation as well, held a meeting with the UK’s Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the High-Level Conference on the Western Balkans in the frames of the Berlin Process, focused on bilateral development cooperation, the most topical political developments in the region of the Western Balkans, and the importance of the Process as a key political and developmental framework to strengthen regional cooperation.
In its press-release, Murtezani’s Ministry described bilateral cooperation as one of the most important pillars of the strategic partnership between the two countries.