On November 21st, 2023, the American Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia successfully concluded its 23rd Annual General Assembly, in the spirit of optimism and strong dedication and commitment to contribute as a community to improving the business environment in the country.
At the 23rd General Assembly, four new members received support and confidence from member companies to join the Board of Directors. No voting occurred because the number of candidates matched the available board positions. The newly elected Board members are Ms. Aleksandra Ivanovska, General Manager, North Macedonia & Kosovo Roche Macedonia; Mr. Ivan Kostic, General Manager at Philip Morris TKP; Mr. Dusan Mitrev, General Manager of Pivara Skopje and Mr. Zivko Mukaetov, CEO / MB President at Alkaloid AD. Led by the Board of Directors, AmCham North Macedonia will continue to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation, nurturing and growing Macedonian-American and regional relations, and building a sustainable and strong business sector.
The General Assembly was opened by Mr. Dragan Davitkov, President of the AmCham Board of Directors. Reflecting on some of the significant milestones achieved during his tenure, Mr. Davitkov emphasized the paramount importance of regional cooperation, highlighting that beyond our borders, there is immense potential for collaboration, trade, and partnership with our neighbors. Additionally, it was emphasized that AmCham will grow stronger as its members become more involved, and, consequently, this collective effort will contribute to creating a more favorable business environment.
The Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of North Macedonia, H.E. Angela P. Aggeler underlined the importance of the business sector as a driver and initiator of the country’s growth, as well as AmCham’s pivotal role in fostering a sustainable and equitable business ecosystem for all stakeholders. H.E. Aggeler concluded by saying that the US Embassy in Skopje will keep supporting AmCham’s endeavors and common interests.
In her address, Ms. Jelena Arsovska, AmCham Executive Director, highlighted the importance of AmCham as a global, forward-thinking business network. Ms. Arsovska emphasized AmCham’s leading role in providing vision to the business sector, while also emphasizing the crucial importance of member companies engaging in collaborative actions to attain positive results.
The Chairs of the Committees, Ms. Aleksandra Ivanovska, Ms. Meri Kucera-Ilievska, and Ms. Frosina Geceva Kocova, provided a detailed report on the efforts and undertakings of the Healthcare Committee, Digital Transformation Committee, and ESG Committee, respectively.
Ms. Ivanovska particularly emphasized the advancements achieved concerning the positive list of medicines, highlighting healthcare policy wins and the increased visibility and role of AmCham in government processes. It was stressed that substantial work is ahead, and the Committee will build on the outcomes of the 2nd healthcare conference by providing policy recommendations and putting forth a call to action. Ms. Kucera-Ilievska marked the success of the very first AmCham Digitalization Conference, titled Building Cyber Resilient Organizations, emphasizing that this conference has been pivotal in providing insights that will shape the Chamber’s future endeavors related to digital transformation in the country. Ms. Geceva Kocova presented an overview of the AmCham ESG Project, whose ultimate goal is to strengthen the corporate sector’s role by encouraging and supporting companies to incorporate sustainable investing principles into their business strategies. In this context, the announcement was made about ESG training for companies, along with the scheduling of the second ESG Conference set to occur on December 12, 2023. Finally, Mr. Bragorski, Policy Manager at AmCham, elaborated on the upcoming actions by AmCham regarding the predictability of the regulatory agenda in the country. He also spoke about the re-establishment of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Task Force at AmCham as a new policy focus.
The working part of the Assembly included the admission of new members, the adoption of the audited Financial Statements Report for the previous year, and the appointment of an independent auditor for 2023.
Wrapping this General Assembly up, AmCham North Macedonia has demonstrated that our impact goes beyond individual actions, embodying the strength derived from shared corporate cultures, visionary ideals, and collective dedication.
