EU-Western Balkans Push: At the EU-Western Balkans summit, the bloc signaled it “will not be complete without the Western Balkans,” while Ukraine and Moldova moved into the first accession talks cluster focused on rule of law and state functioning. Skopje–Ankara Business Drive: North Macedonia’s PM Hristijan Mickoski met Erdogan in Istanbul and urged Turkish investors at a business forum, pitching Skopje as a gateway to EU supply chains and promising fewer procedures via digitized services. Trade Targets: Turkey and North Macedonia discussed lifting bilateral trade toward $2bn, citing $886m trade by end-2025 and Turkish contracting activity. Manufacturing & Chemicals Deal: Vipul Organics signed an exclusive European distribution agreement with Omya for pigment ranges, including North Macedonia, aiming to expand reach to European manufacturers. Energy Storage Milestone: YESS Power commissioned Balkans’ first large-scale solar battery storage system in North Macedonia (30 MW), boosting grid flexibility for renewables. Macroeconomy: North Macedonia’s GDP rose 0.4% in Q1 2026, with manufacturing, trade, electricity supply, transport, health and agriculture supporting growth, while construction weighed on results. Regional Cyber Exercise: North Macedonia joined a major Adriatic cyber defense drill in Croatia with U.S. National Guard partners, strengthening cross-border incident readiness.