Dear members,
I am delighted to present to you a re-designed version of the AmCham Macedonia magazine
under a new-old name – Emerging Macedonia. Emerging Macedonia was the original name
of the magazine and we thought it was suitable to resurrect it now that Macedonia is on the
road to NATO and EU accession. Moreover, we refreshed the design to reflect the position
of the publication as the only business magazine in English on the Macedonian market. We
hope you enjoy the new look – feedback is always welcome!
In terms of content, in this edition we are shining a spotlight on the long and arduous journey
ahead of us as we embark on the path of joining the EU and its market of 500 million con-
sumers. We look at the implications of such a merger, as well as how to make the best out
of the new situation and where the obstacles and challenges may lay. We asked academics
and researchers, as well as practitioners, what the private sector can expect when Macedo-
nia joins the EU, and the most frequent answer we heard was – prepare well in advance and
raise your standards of working. This edition of the magazine is a beginning of a longer and
larger conversation about private sector readiness to join the EU market and we will continue
to raise issues that affect the competitiveness of domestic companies as they prepare for EU
integration.
We also introduced a new magazine section called Meet Our Members where we present
outstanding but lesser-known members of AmCham, companies that set standards for ex-
cellence, innovation, and social responsibility. The first company to be highlighted in this
section is the printing house Propoint, one of AmCham’s newest members, a company that
cares about quality, the environment, and creating opportunities for the less abled. They have
also taken over designing and printing our magazine and we are grateful for their efficiency
and cooperation.
In the AmCham Events section you will find an overview of our holiday party, several mem-
ber-to-member events focusing on a transfer of knowledge and experience, our signature
Young Professionals Speed Networking events, as well as events with several visiting guest
speakers – the AllWeb conference speakers and Yair Engel from Israel.
As we continue to focus on organizing events that matter to you, I’d like to encourage
you to contact us with ideas, initiatives, and suggestions on topics that are of im-
portance to your industry, company, and team. The Chamber can only remain
relevant if its members are engaged, active, and committed.
Dijana Despodov
Executive Director
Emerging Macedonia is a quarterly publication of AmCham Macedonia. No reproduction of any materials published
in Emerging Macedonia is permitted without the explicit written permission of AmCham Macedonia. The articles in
the magazine express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of AmCham Macedonia,
its members, board of directors or staff. While AmCham Macedonia makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all
published information, AmCham Macedonia is not responsible for errors or omissions.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Dijana Despodov
EDITOR: Elena Chekorova • COVER: EU Delegation in Skopje
DESIGN & PRINTING: Propoint Printing House • ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: [email protected]
The magazine is available on our web site: www.amcham.com.mk