North Macedonia highlights investment opportunities at Beijing event

North Macedonia showcased investment opportunities at an event in Beijing on Saturday, bringing together diplomats and business representatives to explore avenues for economic cooperation.

Sashko Nasev, North Macedonia's ambassador to China, addresses the event in Beijing, March 21, 2026. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

Speaking at the event, Sashko Nasev, North Macedonia's ambassador to China, said the country's economy had performed strongly in recent years, citing stable GDP growth, manageable inflation and prudent fiscal management recognized by international financial institutions.

Nasev noted that North Macedonia offered a range of incentives for foreign investors, including preferential policies and, in some cases, benefits such as free water supply and land-leasing arrangements.

China is North Macedonia's fourth-largest trading partner and its largest outside Europe, accounting for about 5.7% of the country's total trade. Nasev described bilateral cooperation as highly significant, highlighting the Kozjak Hydropower Plant — the country's largest hydropower station — as a project built by a Chinese company.

According to the ambassador, trade between the two countries spans a broad range of goods, with North Macedonia importing everything from garlic to trains from China and exporting marble and wine, two of its key industries. He added that North Macedonian companies were expected to explore investment opportunities in the Chinese market in the future.

Nasev also noted that North Macedonia had signed investment protection treaties and double taxation avoidance agreements with more than 40 countries, suggesting that cooperation with the country could open broader opportunities involving other international partners.

Cultural and tourism cooperation, as well as people-to-people exchanges, were also highlighted as important areas of collaboration. Visa-free arrangements had helped boost tourism flows between the two sides, the ambassador said.

The event also served as the launching ceremony of Ambassadors' Zhenxing China Tour business delegation. A representative said the tour program aims to advance the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative by building bridges across borders. Through field visits and dialogues, it also seeks to establish a regular, high-level exchange platform to promote strategic alignment and project cooperation between participating countries and China.

The initiative is also intended to help diplomats gain a deeper understanding of China while enabling Chinese entrepreneurs to better engage with global opportunities, contributing to a more open world economy.

Participants in the tour program include ambassadors and representatives from North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Slovakia, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Türkiye, Greece, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.