The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, on behalf of Minister Antonio Tajani, inaugurated the North Macedonia–Italy Business Forum today in Skopje. The initiative, part of Italy’s growth diplomacy and the Export Action Plan, was organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, in collaboration with ITA, CDP and SACE.
“Relations between Italy and North Macedonia are excellent and continuously growing, with significant potential for strengthening investment and trade exchanges,” stated Undersecretary Tripodi. She highlighted that current bilateral trade has already reached EUR 560 million in 2024, marking a 3.7% increase compared to 2023, with Italian exports totalling EUR 365 million, up by 8%.
The Forum’s discussions focused on three key sectoral roundtables: infrastructure, energy transition, and innovation, with special emphasis on circular economy, agri-tech, and Industry 5.0. This was followed by an intensive B2B session between Italian and Macedonian companies, also involving international financial institutions such as the EBRD and the EIB.
The Undersecretary also stressed that the excellent level of bilateral partnership achieved is closely linked to North Macedonia’s progress on its path towards EU integration, which Italy firmly supports.
On the sidelines of the Business Forum, Undersecretary Tripodi held productive meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister of Energy, and the Minister for Digital Transformation.