Corridor VIII & Rail Tunnel Talks: Bulgaria’s Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev met the US Chargé d’Affaires to push faster work on Corridor VIII and coordinate with North Macedonia on a cross-border railway tunnel, alongside aviation cooperation and 6G/critical-infrastructure security. Energy & Regional Interconnections: North Macedonia and Croatia are set to sign a strategic cooperation agreement, with an energy-sector memorandum signed by both countries’ energy ministers to strengthen security and interconnections. EU Integration Pressure: North Macedonia’s PM Hristijan Mickoski says the government won’t proceed with constitutional changes and is ready to “pay the price” to keep its EU path on national criteria. Retail Demand Watch: North Macedonia’s retail sales growth slowed to 2.1% year-on-year in April (real terms), with food and essential categories still leading while fuel sales fell sharply. Data Centres Legal Push: The government says draft amendments to enable data centre development are in the final phase, aiming to attract digital-infrastructure investment and create jobs. Games of Chance Funding for Film: A new draft law would allocate 3% of games-of-chance levies to the North Macedonia Film Agency, restoring a funding mechanism for domestic production and the film ecosystem. US Western Balkans Shift: A US State Department report frames the region strategy around stability and “mutually beneficial partnerships,” highlighting Corridor 8 as a key strategic project and warning about Russian and Chinese influence. Industry & Logistics Angle: Hyprop plans to expand further in Eastern Europe by acquiring Bulgaria’s Galleria Burgas, noting stronger consumer demand and tourism appeal that could ripple across the regional retail market.