Mickoski at the Atlantic Council: the US is a strategic partner, EU membership should be based on merit

During his stay in Washington, North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski delivered a speech at the Atlantic Council, where he presented the government’s strategic priorities, the country’s role in the region, cooperation with the United States, the European integration process, and development projects in the economic, infrastructure, energy and technology sectors.

Mickoski stressed that the strategic alliance between North Macedonia and the United States is a partnership built over decades and that the government is firmly committed to deepening this relationship further.

He noted that, although North Macedonia is a small country, it occupies an extremely important geostrategic position in the heart of the Balkans, serving as a natural crossroads for key European transport and energy corridors.

The prime minister emphasized that government policy is based on predictability and the fulfillment of commitments. In this context, he said that the country has a clear plan regarding its commitments as a NATO member, which includes gradually increasing defense funding and investing in strategic infrastructure, highways, railways and energy transmission systems.

Mickoski also identified cybersecurity as one of the key challenges for the future.

As part of the reform agenda with the European Union, the government plans to build a primary data center that will connect public institutions, be linked to the existing secondary data-recovery center and also be secured through cloud infrastructure. The aim is for the state to create a stronger and more resilient system to protect itself against modern cyber threats.

Regarding European Union integration, Mickoski stressed that North Macedonia remains fully committed to membership, but that the process should be guided by reforms and merit, rather than by the continual opening of new bilateral issues.