On Thursday, February 20, at 1:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CET, the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center will host a discussion with Hristijan Mickoski, prime minister of the Republic of North Macedonia.

Following North Macedonia’s parliamentary elections on May 8 last year, Mickoski is charting a new political path for Skopje at a critical moment for the Western Balkans.

The road to EU membership for North Macedonia and the wider region has been long and fraught with obstacles, from disputes with neighbors to internal constitutional debates in Skopje. Now at the outset of the new Trump administration, and following the 2025 Munich Security Conference, Mickoski comes to Washington to share his vision for North Macedonia’s foreign policy and future relations with the United States. The Western Balkans remain a battleground for competing geopolitical interests, from Russia’s disruptive tactics to China’s expanding economic influence. Join us to hear about how North Macedonia plans to navigate these pressures while maintaining its democratic and European aspirations—and about the role the United States and European Union can play in supporting regional initiatives (such as the Growth Plan) and in ensuring long-term stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans.

This event is part of the Europe Center’s #BalkansForward Initiative, which promotes the region’s political and economic advancement through Euro-Atlantic integration.

This discussion will take place live at the Atlantic Council headquarters and will be broadcast on YouTube, X, and Facebook. To receive the event information, please register using the form on this page.