The President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, together with the President of the Macedonian Mining Association (MAR) within the Chamber, Dime Petroski, and the Association’s vice presidents, held a working meeting with the Ambassador of Australia based in Belgrade for Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro, H.E. Peter Truswell. The meeting was also attended by Zoran Kostovski and Stevan Vasić from the Embassy’s Policy – Economy/Trade and Business Development Department in Belgrade.

At the working meeting, President Azeski emphasized the importance and need for deepening cooperation with a country such as Australia, taking into account the fact that the Macedonian diaspora there is estimated at around 200,000 Macedonian citizens.

“There is potential for cooperation in many fields, and the younger generations are expected to show much greater interest in strengthening business ties between Macedonia and Australia,” said Azeski. “That is precisely why the business community must be prepared, and we are working in that direction.”

The Chamber, President Azeski emphasized, with its 104-year tradition, has gone through two systems, survived within three successive states, and has a long-standing tradition of supporting industrial activities as drivers of the country’s economic development. As a representative of the business sector, the Chamber is prepared to expand economic cooperation to various markets, including the Australian market, although it predominantly operates within European markets. However, the need for diversification is more necessary than ever, especially given the turbulent international economic environment. Additionally, according to the President of the Economic Chamber, there are many countries on the route to Australia through which partnership-based cooperation can be deepened, such as India, Vietnam, Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.

There is also potential for expanding cooperation through the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF), which President Azeski will chair starting in mid-June. In this regard, he invited the Ambassador during their first meeting in Belgrade to hold a joint meeting with the six chamber presidents from the Western Balkan region.

The Ambassador of Australia, H.E. Peter Truswell, noted that the country has an interest in cooperation in the mining sector, where it has many successful companies operating globally, as well as in agriculture, where Australia is also positioned as a strong exporter, while at the same time having potential to import certain products from Macedonia. “The entry of Australian companies into Macedonia as investors could encourage new employment, investments, knowledge transfer, and similar benefits,” Ambassador Truswell stated.

The Chamber also presented the structure of its activities through 17 associations and 5 sectoral groupings, including important associations in mining, energy, waste management, as well as the Councils for Secondary and Higher Education, the Foreign Investors Council, and others. There is also interest in cooperation in the areas of digitalization and the green agenda.

The total trade between the RNM and Australia for the January–December 2025 period reached a value of USD 11.4 million, which represents a 7% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Australia is the 63^rd trading partner of the Republic of North Macedonia, while the trade with Australia generates us a surplus of USD 4.7 million. The export structure mainly includes vegetables, machinery, and other special-purpose vehicles, while imports from Australia include raw hides (sheep and lamb skins), almonds (fresh or dried), non-alloy nickel, and carbonates.