The President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, Branko Azeski, along with a team of prominent Macedonian businesspeople, hosted a delegation from the leading German Eastern Business Association focused on economic relations between Germany and the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The delegation included 20 businesspeople, primarily from the banking, energy, telecommunications, and transport sectors.

During the meeting, Azeski emphasized the importance of Germany for both our country and the wider region, noting that Germany is Macedonia’s number one trading partner, the most developed European economy, the Chamber’s largest international partner, and a key initiator and supporter of business network-building through the Association of Balkan Chambers (ABC) and the work of the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF), a regional initiative established under the Berlin Process. He stressed that as the largest business organization, there can be no serious project aimed at strengthening institutional capacity without the support of DIHK (Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and Germany’s assistance to the region.

Equally important, he said, is the cooperation and support Germany has provided for the implementation of the dual education system and the financing of programs that enhance the Chamber’s institutional capacities. "German chambers have shown us consistent support, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them," Azeski stated. He also highlighted that the cooperation between the state and the Federal Republic of Germany extends significantly to areas such as labor mobility and exports from the country’s economic zones. Azeski further emphasized the Chamber’s commitment to restructuring our embassy in Berlin to ensure that its economic section reflects the reality that Germany is the country’s largest trade partner.

The German delegation was led by Christoph Beeck, a member of the Management Board of the German Eastern Business Association, and Jan-Axel Voss, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the RN Macedonia. It was stressed that strengthening economic cooperation is of particular importance, especially in times of uncertainty. Closer business ties with other countries are essential for securing a path to development. During the meeting, German businesspeople and their Macedonian counterparts exchanged views and expressed mutual interest in exploring cooperation opportunities in several sectors, including banking, energy, telecommunications, and transport.