The President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, and Elena Gotovska, Country Director of Swisscontact, signed a cooperation agreement under which Swisscontact/SIPPO will support the Chamber in developing export promotion capacities. The signing took place in the presence of Michal Harari, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Switzerland to the RN Macedonia; Mirjana Makedonska, National Program Manager at the Swiss Embassy; and Elena Miloshevska-Jovanovska, SIPPO representative in the RN Macedonia.

Wishing for successful joint cooperation—through which SIPPO and the Chamber will formally collaborate for the first time in the field of export support—President Azeski stated that Switzerland is a country admired by all and particularly significant for our country, as it is one of the three European countries that has provided the greatest support to the country across various sectors and fields. Friendly relations, especially with countries such as Switzerland, are of exceptional importance because they provide support for initiatives that build the capacities of institutions, organizations, and companies, thereby strengthening the country’s economic environment and improving living standards.

For the Chamber, exports represent a key issue and one of the three top priorities for the business community, alongside education tailored to business needs—where Switzerland has also significantly supported the Macedonian economy through another project—and regional cooperation, which is viewed as a step forward before the entire Western Balkans region joins the EU family. Why exports? As President Azeski emphasized, for a small and open economy such as North Macedonia, exports are the only path to development and the alpha and omega of economic prosperity.

It is particularly important that the Chamber, given its existing infrastructure, has sufficient capacity to implement the activities defined in the Cooperation Agreement for the Development of Export Promotion Capacities, in the interest of companies.

Michal Harari, Deputy Head of the Swiss Mission to the RN Macedonia, highlighted that North Macedonia’s exports are equally important for Switzerland, as only through export can companies compete in international markets and work toward enhancing their competitiveness and innovation.

The agreement signed between the Economic Chamber and Swisscontact/SIPPO aims to:

-        Improve the quality of export promotion services;

-        Increase the scope of export promotion activities; and

-        Ensure greater inclusiveness of the export promotion services offered by the Chamber to export-oriented companies.

As an export-oriented program, SIPPO is interested in supporting capacity-building within the country and, together with the Chamber, will work in the sectors of tourism and processed food, as well as in the areas of sustainability and the circular economy.