“Herald a new chapter”: President Murmu announces doubling of bilateral trade with North Macedonia in her historic visit

Skopje [North Macedonia], July 21 (ANI): In a major boost to economic ties, India and North Macedonia have agreed to double their bilateral trade volume, President Droupadi Murmu announced on Tuesday during her state visit, notably the first-ever by an Indian President to the Balkan nation.
Addressing a joint press statement with North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova after delegation-level talks, President Murmu expressed confidence that the landmark visit would open a new chapter in bilateral relations.
"This is the first-ever state visit by an Indian president to North Macedonia since the establishment of our diplomatic relations. I am confident that this visit will herald a new chapter in our bilateral relationship," President Murmu said.
Highlighting economic cooperation as a fundamental pillar of the partnership, President Murmu noted that both nations have identified multiple key sectors for expanding commercial engagement.
"Economic cooperation is an extremely important pillar of our bilateral relationship. We agreed to promote greater trade and investment and encourage closer cooperation between our businesses. We also agreed to expand our bilateral trade to double its current volume. We discussed cooperation in key sectors, including IT, ITES, agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and biotech, tourism, hospitality, and skill-making," she said, adding that the India-North Macedonia Business Forum would provide a strong platform to push these goals forward.
President Murmu also announced a key capacity-building initiative, confirming an increase in educational and technical assistance for North Macedonia.
"I take this opportunity to announce our decision to double the number of ITEC training slots for North Macedonia, which will also include courses in artificial intelligence," she said.
Emphasising healthcare and global cooperation, the President welcomed North Macedonia's intent to join major India-led international alliances.
"We are also renewing our bilateral MOU on cooperation in healthcare. We agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of healthcare, particularly for the promotion of traditional systems of medicine," she noted. "India seeks to foster international cooperation through initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuels Alliance. I welcome North Macedonia's intention to join these initiatives."
To mark the enduring friendship between the two nations, President Murmu announced the joint unveiling of a statue honouring Mahatma Gandhi in the capital.
"I am looking forward to jointly unveiling with Her Excellency, the President of North Macedonia, a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the museum of Skopje. This is a special gift from the people of India to the people of North Macedonia and symbolises shared values and principles which unite our two nations," she stated.
President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Skopje on Monday night on the second leg of her three-nation State Visit. Upon her arrival at the airport, she was warmly welcomed by Timcho Mucunski, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia.
On Tuesday morning, President Murmu was warmly received by President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova at Villa Vodno in Skopje, where she was accorded a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour.
At Villa Vodno, the two leaders held wide-ranging bilateral discussions covering the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation alongside regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both sides reiterated their commitment to further strengthening India-North Macedonia ties grounded in shared democratic values and mutual respect.
As part of her official engagements in Skopje, President Murmu also paid homage to North Macedonia's history by laying a wreath at the grave of revolutionary leader Goce Delcev at St. Spas Church. (ANI)