25th August 2025, Zagreb - Minister of Finance, Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska, participated in a panel discussion of the Ministers of Finance and Economy and representatives of institutions from Central and South-East European countries on the topic “Strengthening national capital markets through joint initiatives and cooperation“.
The panel discussion was held within the framework of the initiative led by the Croatian Ministry of Finance for signing the Memorandum of Understanding in respect of their cooperation for capital markets development among Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
In her address, the Minister highlighted that the key benefit of this initiative to Macedonia can be summarized in one word – access.
“I strongly believe that, in two to three years’ time, we will witness the benefits to the business sector and our companies offered by this Memorandum. Coming from the private sector, I know firsthand how difficult is for a company to convince the bank whether its idea or innovation is viable enough to succeed. Under such conditions, the capital market becomes the only means for companies to grow faster and realize their full potential,” Dimitrieska-Kochoska said.
She highlighted that the integration provides our companies, particularly the small- and medium-sized enterprises – the backbone of our economy, access to a much larger pool of investors, more diverse sources of capital and new cross-border partnerships.
“Our domestic market is relatively small and, at times, limited in liquidity. Therefore, through this initiative we open the door to a much broader market and greater financing opportunities. However, this is not only about finance, but also about trust and credibility. Integration brings us closer to EU standards, reinforcing transparency, predictability and investor confidence. It is a key prerequisite for scaled-up investments,” the Minister underscored.
The Minister highlighted that for an EU candidate country, each step towards regulatory alignment and deeper cooperation is also a step closer to European integration.
“One of our top priorities is strengthening access to finance for businesses, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises. Regional capital market integration directly supports this priority. The most important step governments and lawmakers can take is to harmonize the regulatory environment,” Dimitrieska-Kochoska pointed out.
This initiative, as the Minister concluded, sends a clear message of preparedness for cooperation, joint development and the creation of more attractive and stronger capital markets working in the interest of companies and investors.
