North Macedonia is hosting several bosses of companies close to former US president Donald Trump with a view to cooperating in the digital sector.
Devin Nunes, Chris Pavlovski and Howard Lutnick met North Macedonia’s PM, Hristijan Mickoski on Monday in Skopje. Photo: North Macedonia’s Government
North Macedonia’s new conservative Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, said after meeting some of US Republican contender Donald Trump’s close business associates that his government is interested in cooperation with them.
“If we manage to find common interests, why not?” Mickoski told local TV station Telma on Monday, when asked about whether cooperation and possible investments are in sight.
Earlier that day in Skopje he met Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble corporation, Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald finance corporation and Devin Nunes, former California congressman and current CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group.
“For now, I would not reveal this type of details [of cooperation] but I am pleased I had these people today. They will stay here for the next few days and will talk to government teams, divided into two sections. The first is the economic part, and the second is the digitalization and the digital transformation,” Mickoski said.
The meeting, according to an earlier press release, focused on opportunities for cooperation on digital reforms that the country needs to implement to improve services to the citizens, “focusing on digital freedom and transformation of Macedonian society”.
Several opportunities for economic cooperation in various sectors were also discussed, the government press release added.
Mickoski, who came to power after May general elections, said the visit was organised by Chris Pavlovski, a Canadian technology entrepreneur of Macedonian descent. His bio notes extensive experience in online marketing and advertising space. His company, Rumble, is also known for hosting Truth Social, a right-wing social media platform popular among Trump supporters.
“We create technologies that are immune to cancel culture,” the company states on its website, adding: “Join us. We are on a mission to protect a free and open internet.”
Mickoski’s VMRO DPMNE party was formerly headed by the now fugitive exPM Nikola Gruevski who ruled the country for a decade from 2006 to 2016. His government tightened its grip on the local media, among other things by pouring in millions iinto favoured media through government advertisements.