Skopje, 22 March 2023 (MIA) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) has financed projects in North Macedonia with EUR 1.16 billion. These are projects of crucial importance for North Macedonia’s public sector, but the support for the private sector is also significant, and this support is expected to continue in the future, concluded Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi and EIB Vice President Lilyana Pavlova at a meeting on Wednesday.

“The government of North Macedonia is committed to achieving accelerated economic growth, improving infrastructure, protecting the environment, as well as to the implementation of the energy transition and the production of clean green energy. These are areas for which the support of our partners is crucial. The European Investment Bank has provided EUR 635 million in loans to small and medium sized enterprises, EUR 277 million for projects in the field of transport and road safety, EUR 178 million for water infrastructure, for better access to drinking water and sanitary services for the citizens, as well as EUR 64 million for energy projects,” said Minister Besimi.

He added that the EIB is currently participating in the implementation of projects from the public sector with around EUR 230 million, which includes Wednesday’s signing of the Agreement for the project for a wastewater treatment plant in Skopje.

The Minister said that the support provided to small and medium sized enterprises by the EIB is significant and, he said, it will continue in the future. He added that a new tranche of EUR 100 million in cheap EIB loans for small and medium sized, and the green transition, is expected.

The projects that the EIB is financing in the country include the construction of the interconnector with Greece, the construction of the Corridor VIII railway section from Kriva Palanka to the border with Bulgaria, the project for municipal water infrastructure, and interest has also been expressed in the construction project for the western part of the Corridor VIII railway section from Kichevo to the border with Albania. ad/nn/