Brussels, 5 December 2025 (MIA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski on Friday in Brussels will participate in the Ministerial Council of the Transport Community, where discussions will focus on the Western Balkan countries’ progress in transport policy and the implementation of infrastructure projects.

Chaired by EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the meeting will bring together Nikoloski, transport ministers, and government officials from Albania, Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus, Kosovo, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, and other European nations.

According to the press release, Nikoloski will speak at the Ministerial Council about the country’s transport policies, the progress and implementation of projects on European Transport Corridors 8, 10, and 10d, as well as measures and activities to facilitate trade and transport across the Western Balkans.

Nikoloski noted that he will meet with his counterparts from Greece and Bulgaria to discuss linking the two corridors and new projects, including potential joint financing under country’s Growth Plan.

“Our vision is for Macedonia to become the Balkans’ transport hub. Although we are landlocked, we have a unique position where Corridors 8 and 10, east–west and north–south, intersect just east of Skopje, and this is the key advantage we must secure for the generations that come after us,” Nikoloski said.

The Ministerial Council ensures that the objectives set out in the Treaty of the Transport Community are attained. It provides general policy guidelines, reviews progress on the implementation of the Treaty, gives opinions on the appointment of the Director of the Permanent Secretariat and decides on the seat of the Permanent Secretariat by consensus. The Ministerial Council consists of one representative of each Contracting Party. Participation as an observer is open to all EU Member States. The Ministerial Council meets on an annual basis.

Nikoloski participated on Thursday in the EU - Western Balkans Summit organized by the Friends of Europe think tank in Brussels and addressed the panel “Enlargement matters - Europe's new geopolitical, security and economic frontier.”

Photo: MIA archive