AGP Executive Report

EU Accession: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski says the government will not change its position on constitutional amendments, despite Brussels saying they are needed to advance talks. The European Commission’s latest report prompted a row at home: SDSM cited shortcomings on corruption, procurement and media freedom, while VMRO-DPMNE pointed to progress on reforms. Food Safety: Kosovo has banned all imports from Tetovo dairy producer AD Mlekarna Tetovo after 11 tests found E. coli in some products; rejected shipments were stopped at the border. Regional Integration: The European Commission has opened talks to bring North Macedonia into the EU’s “Roam Like at Home” system, but lower phone charges will require agreements and alignment with EU rules. Travel: North Macedonian citizens can now apply for Saudi tourist e-visas or obtain visas on arrival.

EU Accession: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski again ruled out constitutional changes to include Bulgarians, despite the EU’s position that they are needed to advance talks. EU Ambassador Michalis Rokas urged continued reforms, while SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE traded sharply different assessments of the Commission’s progress report. Regional Ties: The latest Bulgaria–North Macedonia historical commission meeting ended without results, as Sofia renewed calls for Skopje to change what it calls anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. Roaming: The European Commission has opened negotiations to extend “Roam Like at Home” to North Macedonia and five other Western Balkan partners. Free roaming is not yet in effect; agreements and alignment with EU rules are still required. Food Safety: Kosovo banned imports from Tetovo dairy producer AD Mlekarna Tetovo after repeated tests found E. coli in some products. The agency said affected shipments were stopped at the border. Travel: Saudi Arabia added North Macedonia to the countries eligible for tourist e-visas and visas on arrival.

Food Safety: Kosovo has banned all imports from North Macedonia’s Mlekarna Tetovo after 11 tests of its dairy products returned unsatisfactory results; failed shipments were stopped at the border. EU Integration: Brussels has opened negotiations to bring North Macedonia and five other Western Balkan partners into the “Roam Like at Home” system, which would remove extra mobile charges once agreements are reached and rules aligned. Constitutional Dispute: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski says his position on constitutional changes remains unchanged, despite the European Commission’s insistence that including Bulgarians in the Constitution is required to advance accession talks. The latest EU progress report has also sparked a domestic political clash over the government’s record on reforms. Bulgaria Ties: The joint history commission ended its latest meeting without results, while Bulgaria’s foreign minister rejected Skopje’s call for a mediator and urged it to drop what she called anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. Alta Banka: North Macedonia’s central bank has placed the Bitola subsidiary under administration; withdrawal limits and cash shortages have prompted queues, including among pensioners.

Food Safety: Kosovo has banned all imports from North Macedonia’s AD Mlekarna Tetovo after 11 tests found E. coli in dairy products. The failed shipments were stopped at the border; imports can resume only after the company meets safety rules. EU Mobility: Brussels has opened talks with North Macedonia and five other Western Balkan partners to join the “Roam Like at Home” zone, eliminating extra mobile charges once rules are aligned and agreements concluded. EU Accession: A Bulgaria–North Macedonia history commission meeting ended without results, while Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski again rejected constitutional changes required to advance talks with the EU. Banking: Alta Banka Bitola remains under National Bank administration following the Serbian parent bank’s licence revocation, with withdrawal limits and long queues troubling customers.

EU Integration: The European Commission has opened talks to bring North Macedonia into the EU’s “Roam Like at Home” scheme, which could end roaming surcharges once an agreement is finalised and EU rules are met. But Brussels says the country made little progress on enlargement reforms, and Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski says his government’s position on constitutional changes remains unchanged. Banking: Alta Banka’s North Macedonian subsidiary remains under central-bank administration after its Serbian parent lost its licence; customers face withdrawal limits, while Mickoski warns the turmoil could hurt Macedonian firms trading with Serbia. Bulgaria Ties: Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova says dialogue will remain difficult unless Skopje moves away from what she calls anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. Culture: Milcho Manchevski’s film Sister Brother Manhole Cover, a North Macedonia-led regional co-production, won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s top prize. Travel: Saudi Arabia has added North Macedonia to the nationalities eligible for tourist e-visas and visas on arrival.

EU Accession: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski says North Macedonia will not amend its Constitution for now, despite the EU making inclusion of Bulgarians a condition for progress. The Commission’s latest report places the country among candidates making little progress and also flags officials’ failure to consistently use its constitutional name under the Prespa Agreement. Bulgaria says it will not accept a mediator and urges Skopje to drop what it calls anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. Banking Concerns: Alta Banka Bitola customers face withdrawal limits and cash shortages, with pensioners among those queuing at the Bitola branch. Mickoski warns that financial turmoil in Serbia could also hurt North Macedonian businesses with Serbian partners. Travel: Saudi Arabia has added North Macedonia to the countries whose citizens can apply for tourist e-visas, visas on arrival and transit visas. Culture: Milcho Manchevski’s film Sister Brother Manhole Cover, set in post-communist North Macedonia, won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s top prize. Business: Makedonski Telekom CEO Goran Markovic will take a senior commercial role at Deutsche Telekom in January, overseeing growth across nine European markets, including North Macedonia.

EU Accession: Brussels says North Macedonia’s prospects remain uneven, urging constitutional changes and warning that officials’ failure to use the country’s constitutional name risks damaging ties with Greece under the Prespa Agreement. Alta Bank Crisis: The Bitola bank’s customers face limits on cash withdrawals after Serbia revoked its parent bank’s licence. Pensioners have queued for access to their money, while more than 5,000 social welfare recipients are also affected. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski warned that Serbia’s instability could hurt Macedonian businesses and jobs, given close trade links. Tourism: Saudi Arabia has added North Macedonia to the countries eligible for tourist e-visas, visas on arrival and transit visas. Culture: Milcho Manchevski’s film Sister Brother Manhole Cover, a co-production involving North Macedonia, won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s top prize.

EU Accession: Brussels says North Macedonia’s EU path remains stalled, urging constitutional changes to include Bulgarians and warning officials to use the country’s constitutional name under the Prespa Agreement. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos says negotiations can begin once conditions are met. Political Tensions: Opposition party SDSM is seeking the removal of Local Self-Government Minister Ivan Stoiljković, alleging ties to Serbian intelligence and promotion of Russian and Chinese interests; the claims are accusations, not established findings. Banking: More than 5,000 social welfare recipients were affected after North Macedonia took control of Alta Bank’s Bitola subsidiary amid the Serbian parent bank’s licence revocation. Authorities arranged in-person withdrawals of benefits. Culture: Filmmaker Milcho Manchevski’s Sister Brother Manhole Cover won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s top prize. Agriculture: Bulgaria rejected more than 19 tonnes of apples from North Macedonia over excessive pesticide residues.

EU Accession: The European Commission says North Macedonia has made no progress on the constitutional changes needed to open EU negotiations, and urged Skopje to meet its commitments. Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine received new accession roadmaps as North Macedonia’s bid remains stalled. Dialogue with Bulgaria: President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova says she is willing to pursue talks, but that identity and language cannot be negotiated. Alta Bank Fallout: More than 5,000 social welfare recipients who receive payments through Alta Bank Bitola were affected by the Serbian lender’s licence revocation; authorities arranged bank-counter access to their funds. Culture: Milcho Manchevski’s Sister Brother Manhole Cover, set in Skopje, won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s top prize.

EU Accession: The European Commission’s 2026 report says North Macedonia’s progress has largely stalled, with gains in only a handful of negotiating chapters. Its readiness score is level with Serbia. Dialogue with Bulgaria: President Gordana Siljanovska says she is willing to speak with Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova and urged the EU to help find a way past the constitutional dispute blocking accession talks. Culture: Milcho Manchevski’s film Sister Brother Manhole Cover, set in Skopje, won the top prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Banking: North Macedonia’s central bank has taken control of the local Alta Bank subsidiary after Serbian authorities revoked its parent bank’s licence. Football: Coach Goce Sedloski left striker Bojan Miovski out of the squad for the Nations League games, citing his limited playing time at Rangers.

EU Accession: President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said she cannot promise constitutional changes to recognise Bulgarians, claiming 80% of citizens oppose them. The amendments remain a key hurdle on North Macedonia’s EU path. Fraud Probe: Europol-backed raids across seven countries led to seven arrests and the seizure of more than 100 servers in an alleged €4 million investment scam. Investigators linked call centres in North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo to the network. Banking: North Macedonia’s central bank placed Alta Bank Bitola under administrative management after Serbia revoked the parent bank’s licence. Trade: Bulgaria rejected more than 19 tonnes of North Macedonian apples over excessive pesticide residues. Transport: Flydubai plans to resume direct Skopje–Dubai flights in April 2027. Nations League: North Macedonia visit Scotland on November 13; Scotland have recalled Scott McTominay after heart surgery.

Fraud Probe: Seven people were arrested in an international investment scam investigation involving call centres in North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. Authorities seized more than 100 servers; losses are estimated at over €4 million. Banking Fallout: After Serbia shut down Alta Bank, North Macedonia placed its linked Alta Bank Bitola under temporary control. Customers face weekly withdrawal limits of about €160 after roughly €2 million was withdrawn. Food Safety: Bulgaria rejected a shipment of nearly 19.4 tonnes of North Macedonian apples after tests found pesticide residues above permitted levels. EU Accession: Brussels is due to publish its enlargement report on Nov. 4. A regional study found that 17% of North Macedonia’s laws on core rule-of-law issues received negative assessments between 2020 and 2025. Bulgaria Relations: A Bulgarian MP has asked the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner to examine the acquittal of two men accused of assaulting Hristijan Pendikov in Ohrid. Travel and Sport: Flydubai plans to restart Skopje–Dubai flights three times a week in March 2027. Scotland has recalled Scott McTominay for its Nations League match against North Macedonia on Nov. 13; Rangers defender James Penrice earned his first call-up.

Air Links: flydubai will restore direct Skopje–Dubai flights on April 1, 2027, with three weekly services and onward connections through Dubai. Food Safety: Bulgaria rejected 19.35 tonnes of North Macedonian apples after tests found pesticide residues above permitted limits; the shipment will be returned. Banking: North Macedonia’s central bank placed Alta Bank Bitola under temporary administration after its Serbian parent lost its licence. The regulator says the Bitola bank remains liquid and well-capitalised, though about €2 million was withdrawn. Relations with Bulgaria: President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova congratulated Iliana Iotova on her election victory, calling for dialogue and a genuine partnership to address challenges between the neighbours. Culture: North Macedonia is set to return to Eurovision in 2027, joining at least 35 other countries at the contest in Bulgaria’s Burgas.

Banking: Serbia’s Alta Bank owner Davor Macura was arrested on suspicion of withdrawing nearly €385 million from the bank’s vault. After Serbia revoked Alta’s licence, North Macedonia’s central bank placed its Bitola subsidiary under temporary administration; about €2 million had been withdrawn, though the regulator says the subsidiary remains liquid and well capitalized. Biodiversity: Nine new COP17 conservation projects include North Macedonia, as part of a package worth about $4.5 million. Regional Cooperation: North Macedonia and Türkiye signed a health cooperation pact covering public health, medicines and digital services. EU Accession: Slovakia’s foreign minister voiced support for North Macedonia’s EU path during talks in Skopje, criticizing double standards toward candidate countries. Culture and Travel: North Macedonia is set to return to Eurovision in 2027, hosted in Bulgaria’s Burgas, while flydubai plans to resume Dubai–Skopje flights three times a week from April 2027.

Banking: North Macedonia has placed Alta Bank Bitola under temporary administration after about €2 million was withdrawn on Saturday, following Serbia’s revocation of its parent bank’s licence. Weekly withdrawals are capped at 10,000 denars (€160); Governor Trajko Slaveski said the bank remains liquid and well capitalized. EU Path: During talks in Skopje, Slovakia’s foreign minister backed North Macedonia’s EU accession and called for equal treatment of candidate countries. Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski said the country wants a lasting solution to its dispute with Bulgaria, not a temporary unblocking that brings new conditions. Biodiversity: North Macedonia is among nine countries set to benefit from new projects funded by China’s Kunming Biodiversity Fund, with the latest round totalling about $4.5 million. Bulgarian Vote: Turnout in Bulgaria’s presidential runoff across seven polling stations in North Macedonia rose to 491 voters, more than 160 above the first round. Embassy Case: A Skopje man pleaded guilty to setting fire to two cars belonging to Bulgaria’s embassy; a psychiatric assessment is due at the next hearing.

EU Accession: Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski says Skopje is in dialogue with Bulgaria, Brussels and EU member states, but won’t accept a temporary fix that brings new conditions later. Slovakia’s foreign minister backed the Western Balkans’ EU path and called for equal treatment. Regional Banking: Serbia revoked Alta Bank’s licence after its finances deteriorated; its North Macedonian subsidiary says it is operating normally. Claims that money was being moved through Skopje remain unverified, and Serbia’s central bank did not cite them as the reason for its decision. Eurovision: North Macedonia will return to the contest in 2027, its first appearance since 2022, joining 35 other countries in Burgas, Bulgaria. Health Cooperation: Türkiye and North Macedonia signed a pact covering public health, medicines, medical technology, investment and digital services. Food Safety: Bulgaria rejected a 21-tonne shipment of North Macedonian apples after tests found an EU-banned pesticide. Court Case: The man accused of setting fire to two Bulgarian Embassy cars in Skopje pleaded guilty; the case continues on November 11.