The President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, held a meeting with Ivan Kostić, General Manager of the company Philip Morris Tobacco Company Prilep (FMTKP), and Vasilka Salevska-Trajkova, Manager for External Affairs. FMTKP is the Macedonian branch of Philip Morris International, a leading global tobacco company.

The meeting addressed opportunities for enhancing cooperation in the business sector, as well as current challenges and trends within the tobacco industry and the broader economy.

Representatives from Philip Morris Tobacco Company Prilep presented their positive results, production and export potential, future plans, and the challenges faced within the overall business ecosystem. The products of PMI are sold in approximately 170 markets worldwide. Globally, PMI holds the leading cigarette brands and also develops innovative smoke-free products, including heated tobacco devices, non-combustible tobacco, and nicotine pouches.

FMTKP began operations in 2014 as a strategic partnership between the global tobacco company Philip Morris International and Tutunski Kombinat Prilep, with PMI holding 51% and TKP owning 49% of the joint venture’s shares. From the outset, PMI has invested in the modernization and restructuring of Tobacco Company Prilep, directing capital investments into cigarette production—investments that enabled exports to over 10 markets across Europe and the EU member states.

In the Chamber’s new strategic direction, the highest priority will be given to institutions that uphold top professional standards, invest in advanced technologies, and create value-added products that increase the competitiveness of the Macedonian economy.

The cooperation with FMTKP dates back to its beginnings, and the engagement of its representatives in the Chamber’s bodies—as well as their expertise in certain fields—serves as a model for how domestic business collaboration should function. The Chamber continues to build relationships with companies like FMTKP, with whom it can advocate positions and solutions on specific issues before the Government. In the coming period, efforts will focus on the accelerated adoption of new technologies and innovative solutions within this industry, along with their legal regulation—an initiative to which President Azeski has personally committed himself.