Last week seemed to bring together three or four activities that we have been working on for the past decade.

I.          Investment Platform

1.     At the meeting held at the Chamber with the Construction Association and the Chamber’s Vice Presidents, the Prime Minister officially announced that, as of 1 September, the investment package on which we have been working for the past year will become operational. It is conceived as a joint body of the Government and the Chamber aimed at accelerating development processes. The activities are linked to the ongoing construction of motorways across Macedonia (Kichevo–Ohrid, Prilep–Bitola, Gostivar–Kichevo), the motorway towards the Kosovo border, and the modernization of several road corridors.

2.     Commencement of the construction of the railway line connecting the Serbian and Greek borders.

3.     Maintenance of existing air routes and introduction of new destinations.

4.     These initiatives, together with private investments by our companies and other local development projects, should serve the interests of business as a foundation for growth and development, while also acting as a test of our readiness to become part of the European family.

II.          Skills in Higher Education

Following the successful reform of dual secondary vocational education, we have finally opened the discussion on skills development in higher education.This means that, following the adoption of the Law on Higher Education and through the active involvement of the business community, the education system will be completed in a way that places education at the service of business and produces the workforce needed to support its development.The Chamber is fully prepared, both institutionally and organizationally, to support this process, which is of crucial importance. Had it not been for the crises of recent years, this would have been the central issue of our work.

III.          Regulatory Reform

Amendments to the regulations governing public procurement, statistics, and the Law on Holidays also passed through the Chamber’s consultative bodies last week and will soon be submitted to the Government.

IV.          International Events

I am pleased to announce a major conference on sustainable development, to be held in early July and organized jointly by UNDP, the Government, and the Economic Chamber. A second major conference, focusing on the relationship between environmental protection and industrial development, is planned for November.

V.          Western Balkans Six Chamber Investment Forum

Our activities within the Western Balkans Six Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) continue. As one of the founders of this important regional body, established in 2015 under the Berlin Process led by Angela Merkel and headquartered in Trieste, Italy, we remain committed to its mission of representing approximately 350,000 companies from the Western Balkans. Following numerous projects aimed at strengthening institutional capacities, joint participation in trade fairs, and the establishment of consortia within the Regional Challenge Fund—through which many companies and vocational education and training partnerships have already benefited from modernized facilities, new equipment, and improved training programs—the WB6 CIF has become a key platform for economic dynamism and development in the Western Balkans. It is also an institution that provides opinions and recommendations on EU economic policies toward the region.

VI.          Eurochambres

I am also pleased to announce that the President of Eurochambres, Vladimír Dlouhý, will visit the Economic Chamber on 2 July. During his visit, we will discuss opportunities for strengthening mutual cooperation. Eurochambres is the European network representing more than 1,700 regional and local chambers and over 20 million member companies across Europe. It was the first business organization established at the European level following the signing of the Treaty of Rome. Its mission is to support chambers in promoting EU integration among member countries and to serve as the voice of business within EU institutions.

All these activities are directed toward helping our companies increase innovation, expand exports, and produce higher value-added products. I would also like to acknowledge the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, which over the past two months has ensured that all bilateral governmental visits were accompanied by business delegations (Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Türkiye, and Switzerland). In doing so, it has helped us advance the very objectives for which the Chamber was established.