EU to provide additional €40 million for North Macedonia's military capacities, says Michalis Rokas

The European Union plans to provide an additional €40 million to strengthen North Macedonia's military capacities, on top of nearly €65 million already channelled earlier, the head of the EU Delegation in Skopje, Michalis Rokas, said at a public panel discussion.

Rokas spoke at the forum titled "Strategic connectivity for stability: the EU and North Macedonia in the new geopolitical reality", organised by the Institute for Democracy "Societas Civilis" – Skopje and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. He outlined the instruments through which the EU supports road, rail, energy and digital links in the country.

Additional funds framed as part of broader support

"That is why we want to offer a response in the field of security. Precisely for that reason, through the European Peace Facility we allocated almost €65 million for North Macedonia. We hope that soon we will be able to secure an additional €40 million to strengthen the country's military capacities and, as a NATO member, to enhance our security," Rokas said.

Rokas added that the EU's response to current challenges is comprehensive because connectivity, economic stability and security are interdependent. "We try to look at all these issues through the same prism," he said.

Pointing to long-term infrastructure backing, Rokas recalled that the EU has supported connectivity in North Macedonia since 2007 through multiple financial instruments: €1.2 billion via the Instrument for Pre‑Accession Assistance, €1.8 billion through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, and €750 million under the EU Growth Plan, implemented through the Reform Agenda. He stressed that support covers road and rail works as well as energy and digital links and the technical assistance needed to deliver projects.

Rokas also tied the investments to the EU accession path and geographic importance of the country. "We are strongly committed to North Macedonia becoming a member of the European Union as soon as possible. But this also affects us and is very important for us. It's not just that two vital corridors, Corridor 10 and Corridor 8, cross at a short distance from Skopje. The reason is also that we are aware that today we have value chains and that even if only a small part of them is disrupted, it affects all of us," he said.

Addressing the wider geopolitical context, Rokas warned that the world faces high uncertainty: wars and conflicts — from Russia's aggression against Ukraine to fighting in the Middle East and wars on the African continent, including in Sudan and Mali — are disrupting trade and transport routes, raising prices and putting pressure on households. "Excuse me, that is because of the wars; you must find solutions," he said, arguing that cooperation and connectivity are necessary to build resilience and ensure stability.

Photo: Printskrin