Skopje [North Macedonia], July 22 : President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday called for deepening economic and commercial ties between India and North Macedonia, urging both countries to set an ambitious target of doubling their bilateral trade volume by the end of the decade.
She made the remarks while addressing the India-North Macedonia Business Forum in Skopje during her state visit to the country.
President Murmu said the current trade relationship reflected only a fraction of the potential between the two countries and stressed the need to diversify trade and boost investments across emerging sectors.
"Our bilateral trade volume shows a steady positive trajectory, but it represents only a fraction of what is possible. We should further diversify and set an ambitious target to double our trade volume by the end of this decade," she said.
Highlighting existing trade, Murmu said India exports organic chemicals, high-grade iron and steel, electrical machinery and textiles to North Macedonia, while the Balkan nation exports high-quality marble, which is increasingly in demand in the Indian market.
The President said both countries should move beyond trade to build a stronger economic partnership through mutual investments.
"The scope for new investments spans across several sectors, including digital innovation and artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, agro-processing, and the green energy transition," she said.
Emphasising upon India's digital transformation, President Murmu said the country's Digital Public Infrastructure had revolutionised governance and financial inclusion and she invited North Macedonia to be a part of the digital revolution.
"India has revolutionised governance through widespread adoption of digital public infrastructure. Tools like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have fostered financial inclusion and brought millions into the formal economy. We invite North Macedonia to co-author the next chapter of this digital revolution, supported by your highly educated, multilingual talent," she said.
President Murmu noted that her visit marked the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian President to North Macedonia, reflecting India's commitment to expanding engagement with the country across sectors of mutual interest.
"It gives me great pleasure to address this gathering in the historic and vibrant city of Skopje. I bring with me the greetings and goodwill of the 1.4 billion people of India," she said, thanking the governments and business associations of both countries for organising the business forum.
Meanwhile during her visit to the country, in a special gesture, President of North Macedonia Dr Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova invited President Droupadi Murmu for a guided walk around the historic city centre of Skopje.
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During her visit to the country, President Murmu also delivered remarks at the Assembly of North Macedonia and met its Speaker, Afrim Gashi.
The President said that North Macedonia is a vital gateway connecting the Mediterranean with Central Europe. She reaffirmed India's commitment to scaling up its engagement bilaterally and across the wider region.