English
At a joint press conference with British Ambassador Matthew Lawson, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski today shared details about the strategic partnership plan that was negotiated with the United Kingdom. Mickoski said that he expects infrastructure, healthcare and other investments worth a total of 6 billion EUR to result from the partnership. The Prime Minister noted the shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, as well as Britain’s role in stabilizing the region in the “earliest and most difficult days of our independence”.
Among other things, the agreement for strategic partnership with the United Kingdom is important for the Macedonian citizens because it will be the basis for an investment cycle with a total framework of 5 billion pounds, or 6 billion EUR. Part of these funds will be used for infrastructure investments, such as the construction of a modern cargo and fast passenger railroad from Tabanovce to Gevgelija. For investments in the healthcare, new hospitals, completion of the Stip clinic and the new medical faculty, a campus for 200 students, construction of a hospital in Kicevo, reconstruction of the Tetovo hospital.. In the coming days we will detail these investments, Prime Minister Mickoski said, as he is expected to visit London next week. Mickoski announced that the infrastructure investments will likely be in the form of loans with favorable repayment terms. “These are not loans for spending, but for capital investments”, Mickoski added.
Prime Minister Mickoski said hat this agreement is the second such key pillar of Macedonia’s international positioning, following the 2008 strategic partnership agreement with the United States.
Ambassador Lawson responded to media questions about the speculations that the United Kingdom is looking to send asylum seekers to a processing center abroad and that Macedonia could be asked to open a migrant camp. The Ambassador said that the focus in the cooperation on migration issues will be on dismantling gangs of human traffickers who operate in the region. “It’s a totally different story than the issues of taking migrants back, and that is not what this is about. So I just want to be really really clear on that. What we absolutely agree is on a broad partnership on security, defense, trade , education and investments. I know that there’s a lot of speculations in the British press, particularly coming after the summit EPC yesterday, of course you’ve seen that and you’re absolutely right to ask me about that. But not what this agreement is about, it’s about upstream police cooperation and better being able to fight these criminal gangs who bring all sorts of commodities, people drugs. This is what this is about, Lawson said.
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski, who was in London recently to negotiate the partnership agreement, said that it will lead to investments, new jobs and strong economic and strategic positioning of Macedonia. “This partnership means investments in transportation, healthcare, education and defense”, Nikoloski said in a social media post.
