Matteo Patrone, vice president for banking at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), made his first official visit to North Macedonia this week, meeting government officials and signing three financing agreements to support private-sector growth.
During his Sept. 10-11 trip, Patrone met Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski. He also held talks with private-sector clients.
The bank signed a €20 million risk-sharing facility with ProCredit Bank Macedonia (PCBM), its first such deal with PCBM and only the second in the country. The unfunded facility will allow PCBM to share risk with the EBRD on selected exposures, enabling more lending to local businesses.
A separate agreement extended support to Varus DOOEL, the distributor of Merck’s products in North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. The loan, part of a €4.6 million financing package, will fund land acquisition and office refurbishment, supporting the company’s logistics and warehousing expansion.
The EBRD also backed Vinica-based food producer Makprogres DOO, with Sparkasse Bank to provide up to €2.5 million in loans, half of which will be guaranteed by the EBRD under a risk-sharing arrangement. The funds will help cover working capital needs and support the company’s growth strategy.
“Our engagement in North Macedonia underscores the EBRD’s role as a key partner in the Western Balkans,” Patrone said in a statement, adding that the visit allowed the bank to “formalise several important agreements and engage in constructive dialogue with government officials.”
Since joining the EBRD in 1993, North Macedonia has attracted more than €3 billion in investments across 205 projects, including €151 million in 2024 alone.