Energy & Industry: ESM signed a $2.4m World Bank grant to prepare the REK Bitola 1 lignite cogeneration upgrade and expand the Bitola district heating network, aiming for more efficient combined heat and power. EU & Power Markets: The World Bank also backs North Macedonia’s broader energy transition via preparatory work tied to the new gas-fired power plant. Business & Investment: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski invited Turkish investors at a Skopje–Ankara business forum in Istanbul, pitching North Macedonia as a gateway to EU supply chains and promising a more predictable business climate. Manufacturing & Rail: Romania’s RELOC Craiova completed modernisation of 19 electric locomotives under the PNRR, with GRAMPET also operating across the region including North Macedonia. Agriculture & Environment: Dojran Lake’s bird sanctuary still lacks protection as reed belts shrink under agricultural encroachment and municipal/government plans stall. Trade & Logistics: A Venture Global/Atlantic-SEE LNG deal expands 20-year supply to Central and Eastern Europe, with the corridor reaching North Macedonia via Greece’s Alexandroupolis terminal. Policy & Rates: North Macedonia’s central bank lifted its key interest rate to 4.25% as inflation risks and geopolitical uncertainty persist. Regional EU Path: The European Parliament approved North Macedonia’s 2025 progress report, while Bulgaria’s MEPs stressed constitutional and rule-of-law conditions for further EU steps. Border & Transport: Greece flagged upgrades at the Evzonoi border crossing with North Macedonia to cut waiting times ahead of the EU’s biometric entry system rollout.