Skopje: President Droupadi Murmu has called for a stronger India-North Macedonia economic partnership, urging businesses from both countries to move beyond traditional trade and build long-term cooperation in areas such as pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, agriculture, artificial intelligence and digital technology.
Addressing the India-North Macedonia Business Forum in Skopje during her state visit, she said the two countries should aim to double their bilateral trade volume by the end of the decade and explore new investment opportunities.
“Our bilateral trade volume shows a positive trajectory, but it represents only a fraction of what is possible. We should further diversify and set an ambitious target to double our trade volume by the end of this decade,” she said.
The president stressed North Macedonias location in Southeast Europe as an advantage for Indian companies looking to expand into European markets. She said the country could become an important partner for Indian businesses in sectors where both sides have complementary strengths.
Pharma, green energy drive India-North Macedonia push
Murmu said Indias pharmaceutical sector could play a bigger role in North Macedonia by setting up joint manufacturing facilities.
“India is known globally as the pharmacy of the world. Our pharmaceutical sector is poised to invest in North Macedonia by establishing joint manufacturing facilities here. We can secure the supply of affordable, advanced life-saving medicines and medical devices for the entire Balkan and European markets,” she said.
She also highlighted opportunities in agriculture, saying North Macedonias fertile land and strategic position could attract Indian companies working in food processing and supply chains.
“Our businesses can explore collaborations in modern food processing and cold chain logistics and build a resilient food supply chain that connects into the broader European Union markets,” Murmu said.
The president also invited North Macedonia to work with India on renewable energy and climate-related initiatives. She said there was “immense scope” for cooperation in solar power, wind energy and green hydrogen.
She invited the country to join India-led platforms, including the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuels Alliance.
India seeks stronger technology and startup ties
During her address, Murmu stressed that future cooperation should include startups, universities, research institutions and technology companies.
She said areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital innovation could open new avenues for collaboration between the two countries.
Highlighting Indias digital transformation, she invited North Macedonia to participate in the countrys digital growth story.
“India has revolutionised governance through widespread adoption of digital public infrastructure. Tools like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have fostered financial inclusion and brought millions into the formal economy. We invite North Macedonia to co-author the next chapter of this digital revolution, supported by your highly educated, multilingual talent,” she said.
Murmu urged business organisations and companies from both countries to strengthen partnerships through technology sharing, joint ventures and local job creation.
“I encourage chambers of commerce, investment agencies and business associations of both countries to establish linkages and facilitate exchanges of business delegations. I also urge companies to look beyond immediate transactions and invest in partnerships based on technology transfer, joint ventures, local value creation and employment generation,” she said.
First-ever Indian presidents bilateral visit to North Macedonia
Murmus visit is the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian president to North Macedonia. During her stay, she met President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and addressed the Assembly of North Macedonia.
Speaking to lawmakers, she described the country as an important link between the Mediterranean and Central Europe and said India wanted to strengthen its ties with the broader Southeast European region.
She also talked about Indias philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, saying it encouraged countries to build cooperation at a time of conflicts and economic divisions.
At a time when the world is divided by conflict and economic divisions, this philosophy calls for building bridges, not walls, Murmu said.
She said India sees North Macedonia not as a distant partner but as an important part of a stable and prosperous global future.
The president also invited North Macedonia to participate in the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in India next year, calling it an opportunity to promote cooperation in creative industries, media and entertainment.
With both countries looking to strengthen economic ties, Murmu said the priority should be building a partnership based on “trust, innovation and shared prosperity.”
“Let us work together to build an India-North Macedonia economic partnership founded on trust, innovation and shared prosperity,” she said.