Antwerp, 22 May 2023 (MIA) - President Stevo Pendarovski addressed Monday the Chamber of Commerce Antwerp Waasland (VOKA) in Belgium, presenting North Macedonia's economic potentials and investment opportunities.

President Pendarovski said Belgium is an important political and economic parther of North Macedonia, and one of the first to perceive the investment opportunities in the country, his Office said in a press release.

"We are currently in the midst of the screening process and we are undertaking serious reforms that are compatible to the EU law, which we expect to have a positive impact on the business environment," said Pendarovski.

He added that North Macedonia and Belgium have a solid legislative framework, communication among businesses and institutions, the Skopje-Brussels airline, as well as a numerous Macedonian diaspora that could be key to networking people from both countries.

In the context of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the President said all countries are, more or less, economically affected by it.

"Therefore, countries sharing common democratic values have no better alternative than to strengthen economic ties, since this is beneficial for businessmen and citizens in general," said Pendarovski.

The presentation also included addresses by Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi, Technological-Industrial Development Zones director Jovan Despotovski, VOKA chairman Andreas Pfeffer, as well as Filip Van Hool and Hilde De Saedeleir, CEOs of "Van Hool" and "New Vekama" respectively, who shared their experiences from the companies' operations in North Macedonia.