Mucunski opens Ambassadorial Council in Skopje to boost active Macedonian diplomacy

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski announced at a press conference that the Ambassadorial Council will convene in Skopje on Thursday and Friday, bringing together the heads of North Macedonia’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad for the first in-person meeting since 2019.

Mucunski described the Council as a key tool for aligning foreign-policy work and setting concrete tasks for the months ahead. "The Ambassadorial Council is one of the most important mechanisms for strategic coordination of Macedonian diplomacy. The goal is clear: to take stock of what has been done, to harmonize positions and, above all, to set concrete tasks for the period ahead," he said.

Priority agenda and direct dialogue with top state leaders

The meeting will focus on the European and Euro-Atlantic agenda, geopolitical and security developments, regional stability, institutional resilience, economic diplomacy and consular services. During the Council diplomats will hold direct talks with the President of North Macedonia, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Assembly.

Mucunski stressed the need for an active, forward-looking diplomatic service in a time of deep geopolitical change: "When it comes to our strategic interests, we need institutional coordination, clear positions and a serious state approach. In a time of deep geopolitical change, diplomacy must not be passive. We need diplomacy that anticipates, reacts in time, builds partnerships and decisively defends national interests," he said.

He singled out economic diplomacy as a special emphasis this year. "My message to our ambassadors is simple: every ambassador must also be an economic promoter of our country. More investment, higher exports, new business contacts and new markets for Macedonian companies must become measurable parts of the work of our missions. Our embassies should open doors for Macedonian companies and turn good political relations into concrete economic opportunities," Mucunski said.

The Council will also address modernization and digitalization of consular services, improved institutional coordination and closer communication with the diaspora. Mucunski added: "Diplomacy has meaning only if it creates concrete value for the state and for the people it serves. Our goal is that the Macedonian citizen, wherever they are, knows that their state is there when they need it."

As part of the visit schedule, Mucunski announced that tomorrow the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Petr Macinka, will be in official talks in Skopje and will speak at the Ambassadorial Council. Discussions will include deepening bilateral ties, European perspective, economic cooperation and current regional and international issues.

Photo: press material from the event