Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, accompanied by Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski and the Macedonian Ambasador in Amerika, Zoran Popov, met with members of the Macedonian community in the New York and New Jersey area during a traditional community gathering.
The Prime Minister attended a liturgy at the St. Cyril and Methodius Macedonian Orthodox Church in New Jersey, where he also met with members of the local Macedonian community.
Following the service, Mickoski thanked the community for its warm welcome and for maintaining strong ties with their homeland.
“Wherever our people are, there is also a part of Macedonia,” Mickoski said in a message shared on social media, emphasizing that his government remains committed to supporting Macedonian communities living abroad.
The government delegation was warmly welcomed at the church, where the liturgy was served by Father Goce Postolovski.
For members of the community, the visit represented an important opportunity to meet directly with the country’s prime minister.
“It is a great pleasure to have this kind of visit in our community—to see the Prime Minister among our people and to sit together with us. This is not something we get to experience every day,” said Toni Kocevski, president of the St. Cyril and Methodius church community.
Kocevski also spoke about the expectations of Macedonians living abroad from their homeland, particularly when it comes to economic cooperation and investment.
“We expect Macedonia and the diaspora to work together every day, to create more investment opportunities, and to give people more reasons to return and have better opportunities for life in Macedonia,” he said.
Siniša Spasovski, a Macedonian living in New York, described the Prime Minister’s visit as a sign that the country is paying attention not only to Macedonians at home but also to those living abroad.
“This attention from our country gives us the feeling that we have not been left on our own. It shows us that our government and our officials care about us and that visits abroad should be focused not only on meetings with foreign officials, but also on connecting with our own communities,” Spasovski said.
The government delegation, led by Prime Minister Mickoski, was previously in Washington, D.C., where it held meetings with U.S. officials. The delegation is now in New York as part of the country’s participation in the annual United Nations General Assembly.
The visit also highlighted the continuing role of the Macedonian diaspora in maintaining cultural, religious and economic connections with Macedonia.
photo credit: Facebook profile of the Prime Minister H.Mickoski
