On Miners' Day Branko Azeski holds meetings with diplomats and businessmen in Debar

On Miners' Day, August 28, Branko Azeski, president of the Chamber of Commerce, travelled to Debar for a sequence of meetings with members of the diplomatic corps and business figures from the region.

The visit opened at St. John Bigorski Monastery, where Azeski and the delegation toured the church and monastic rooms. Ahead of the Orthodox feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Chamber president presented the monastery with an original work of art.

An informal meeting followed at Hotel Tsami by Debar Lake, bringing together accredited diplomats, regional entrepreneurs and prominent local personalities. Participants discussed issues affecting the business climate, with interlocutors noting that upcoming personnel changes — as some ambassadors return to their countries to assume other government positions — could create new opportunities to deepen cooperation between North Macedonia and Western Balkan partners.

Industry message and organisation

Azeski used the occasion to underline the role of the Chamber in supporting the mining sector. Within the Chamber’s organisational structure is the Macedonian Association for Mining – MAR, which groups major companies that generate a significant share of the country’s GDP and which, the Chamber says, looks to the sector’s future through safe, modern and responsible use of natural resources with tangible benefits for local communities and the wider economy.

“Mining is an important part of the Macedonian economy, but its future development must be based on clear rules, strengthened institutional oversight, greater safety, modern technologies and concrete benefits for the communities where exploitation takes place,” said Sanja Bozhinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources.

Official figures cited at the meetings show that in 2025 North Macedonia produced 130,174 tonnes of copper, lead and zinc concentrate. Mining accounted for 10.9 percent of industrial production and 2.8 percent of the country’s total exports. The participants also recalled that the country has approved a Strategy for Mineral Resources intended to provide long-term direction for the sector after decades without a clear framework.

On the occasion of Miners' Day, and in connection with the religious feast on August 28, Chamber president Branko Azeski extended his greetings to employees across the mining sector, companies, institutions, and the scientific and academic community, and offered congratulations to Orthodox believers observing the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Photo: press material from the event