North Macedonia eyes free trade deal with U.S.

North Macedonia could benefit from this, maybe we could further strengthen the ties we have with the United States and maybe we could position ourselves better if we had conditions to reach a free trade deal, if we managed to import more goods into the United States, Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska tells MIA’s Athens correspondent.

Dimitrieska-Kochoska attends the 10th Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, where U.S. tariffs and the latest decision by President Donald Trump are one of the leading economic topics. In an interview with MIA, she talks about the economic situation globally, what it means for Europe, whether it could affect the country and whether there may be consequences for ordinary citizens, CE Report quotes MIA.

Asked about her impressions from the forum, she pointed out globalization, saying the world will never be the same in view of globalization.

The message conveyed at the forum is that changes have to happen and to turn the focus on regulations and expeditious administration. “It was also discussed today that even though a 90-day pause was declared, for some countries it might be not enough having in mind how slow administration can be. What is crucial is that Europe should focus more on innovation, artificial intelligence and the capital market to start functioning,” says Dimitrieska-Kochoska.

“Unpredictable” is the world used the most in Delphi to describe the current state of affairs, she notes adding that U.S. tariffs introduced for the country shouldn’t be a cause for panic and shouldn’t be interpreted negatively.

“We are very small in view of what is happening and our decisions cannot have a direct impact. But we might use it as a chance for the Macedonian economy since the government has established good communication with Washington, which is very important. Although currently our trade with the United States is below one percent, it could be still viewed as an advantage in the period to come,” the finance minister tells.

The country trades the most with Europe, thus “we have to focus on seeing how Europe will act,” Dimitrieska-Kochoska adds.

In the interview, she reveals that the budget will be revised probably during the summer.

MIA interviewed Minister Dimitrieska-Kochoska during day two of the Delphi Economic Forum.