Mickoski: Macedonia will link the Alexandroupoli terminal to Central Europe

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that the United States considers Macedonia and its government close friends and an important priority in the region. In an interview with MIA conducted in Washington during his visit to the US, he said that talks had focused on major energy and infrastructure projects. According to him, the strategic partnership is expected to produce projects of historic importance in the coming years.

The meetings explored the possibility of financing the Čebren and Galište projects, the construction of a gas pipeline that would link the LNG terminal in Alexandroupoli with Central Europe, and the antimony mine in Luke, Kriva Palanka. Mickoski said that investors were also being sought for Čebren and Galište and that the matter had been discussed at the DFC, the development finance corporation with a portfolio of around $200 billion. The discussions were held with Caroline Wick, who is responsible for development and investment worldwide.

Mickoski said that potential financing for the Čebren and Galište projects had been discussed with the US side, as had other forms of infrastructure, energy and data investments to be undertaken by the government. The talks also covered private investment that could come to Macedonia from the United States. He stressed that President Trump’s administration ranks the country among its top priorities in the region.

As one of the initiatives already announced, the prime minister mentioned the antimony mine in Kriva Palanka. According to him, the US side is involved through a $5 million grant for the PD, aimed at developing the project in Krstov Dol, in the locality of Luke in the Palanka region. However, he said this was only the beginning and that, based on the meeting held at the DFC with Caroline Wick, interest was strong.

Securing financing for Čebren and Galište remains one of the government’s objectives. The project has been presented to the DFC, which has expressed interest, while a channel of communication has already been established between the two sides. Mickoski said strategic and critical infrastructure included the gas pipelines under construction, highways, Corridor 8, Corridor 10d, the Corridor 10 railway that is to be modernized, and the Corridor 8 railway line that is being built.

According to the prime minister, the US side has a strong interest in the gas pipeline, through which the United States could become a major supplier of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to the region.

He explained that the goal was to connect the liquefied natural gas terminal in Alexandroupoli, Greece, with Central Europe and to compete with South Stream. The gas pipeline is expected to have a capacity of around three billion cubic meters, rising to as much as six billion with increased pressure. An important feature is that the pipeline will operate in both directions.

Until now, Macedonia has had only one unidirectional entry point at Židilovo, with a capacity of approximately 800 million cubic meters, or 1.2 billion cubic meters when pressure is increased. Mickoski stressed that construction of the new gas pipeline would dramatically increase the amount of gas the country could use.

To place Macedonia on the transit route, which is the government’s goal and ambition, the northern interconnector with neighboring Serbia must also be completed. This project will also be bidirectional. Mickoski expects both projects to be completed by the end of 2028, which he said would completely transform the country’s geostrategic position.

Macedonia currently consumes around half a billion cubic meters of gas annually. With the new capacity, the country will have 12 times more investment potential, including gas-fired power plants that would generate electricity for subsequent use in data centers. According to Mickoski, these centers would also create opportunities in the field of artificial intelligence. He described this as a serious and important plan for Macedonia’s future development and direction.

The prime minister singled out high-voltage electricity transmission networks as “bottlenecks.” He said that the country has very good connections with its northern and southern neighbors through 400-kilovolt power lines. The connection with its eastern neighbor is provided by a 400-kilovolt transmission line and two parallel 110-kilovolt lines. Meanwhile, a project is also under construction that will connect Macedonia with its western neighbor through another 400-kilovolt transmission line.

Once these investments are completed, Mickoski said Macedonia would become an energy hub for high-voltage electricity transmission. He stressed that all the projects constitute critical infrastructure, enhance regional resilience and security, and are particularly important for NATO’s eastern flank. According to him, the country can use its strengthened geostrategic position for the benefit of its citizens and to accelerate economic development, which is the core objective and priority of this government.