Parliament passed the Law on Ratification of Agreement with the United Kingdom

The Assembly adopted the Agreement for Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Macedonia and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in connection with the partnership for the implementation of infrastructure projects.

82 lawmakers voted for the law, 76 of which voted in favor, six lawmakers voted against, and there were no restraints.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Zoran Dimitrovski, who presented the law, noted that the document was concluded in London on May 22, based on the signed Declaration of Strategic Partnership between RSM and the OK and is an important step forward in the affection of the partnership between the two countries. The purpose of this agreement is to consolidation and further more dynamic development of relations and cooperation on critical infrastructure, health, technology and energy for the realization of infrastructure priority projects. The country’s agreement will provide a five -billion pound credit line available for large infrastructure rail, transport, health and energy projects.

– The list of projects involves the development of modern freight and rapid Tarnest Railway from Tabanovce to Gevgelija, investing in health and construction of new hospitals, completing the construction of the Clinical Hospital in Stip, construction of a new building for the Faculty of Medicine and Student House, and a hospital building and hospital. Digital transformation of the Government of RSM. The list of projects that would focus the intergovernmental cooperation is attached as an annex to this agreement. The OK institution for export financing is planned to be a key part of the offer with a coverage of up to five billion funders. The further procedure will include external consultants in order to harmonize the financing and switching to the realization phase of the agreed project – said Dimitrovski.

He added that the agreement proposed to be ratified does not require the adoption of new or amending existing laws and will not cause any additional.

During the debate, the government and the opposition faced the arguments for and against this agreement.

The opposition accused the non -transparency of the agreement, over -indebted the country, and that such agreements are far from economic benefits and pose a long -term threat to the country’s economic and political sovereignty.

-For the biggest and important complaints that are likely to shape the future of our country both in political and economic terms we should behave responsibly and completely transparently. I am sorry that the government missed this chance – said MP Mitko Trajculeski from SDSM.

According to him, the agreement, he said, opens up opportunities for non -transparent deals and bypassing the Law on Public Procurement. Particular concern, he said, also causes paragraph 2 of Article 2 of the Agreement, which says: « It will be facilitated by British business entities to support the realization of projects ».

-The Macedonian public has the right to know -what does this provision mean? Is it already agreed contractors? If so, it is in direct contradiction with the Law on Public Procurement and the Principle of Competitiveness. What is the logic of the Minister of Finance to claim that the domestic legislation will be respected – said the SDSM MP.

The ruling coalition, meanwhile, said that the agreement was transparently published and is here to the lawmakers, unlike the agreement with Bechtel and Enka, which was not presented to the public because it contained Clausilla strictly confidential. It was described as historic for the country because it is a solid foundation for relations with one of the world’s largest powers and engine of finance, science and innovation.

-And the financial agreement and it will be adopted in the same way -in the Government and Parliament. What is now non -transparent, whether the operation that comes here a « black list » relation that you put responsible for those projects to lead and who does not offend or this is non -transparent. Why and where do you need to endure this people. Furthermore where there are migrants camps, whether one of the 8 members is written. My favorite lie for this agreement that this is an anti -European agreement, and the same week the EU has concluded an agreement with the UK – said Stojanoski.

The Assembly continued its work at the 52nd session.