The Macedonian Stock Exchange has joined the latest initiative launched by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), alongside seven other stock exchanges from Central and South-Eastern Europe, by accepting the Memorandum of Understanding, already signed last month, between EBRD and the stock exchanges of Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest, Ljubljana, Warsaw, Zagreb, and Sofia. With it, the Macedonian Stock Exchange became the eighth member of this collaboration, and the only stock exchange from a non-EU country to participate.

The Memorandum of Understanding is designed to foster greater regional cooperation among stock exchanges, with a focus on identifying and implementing key projects to advance regional capital markets and stimulate economic growth, with each exchange contributing as an equal partner. Key areas of collaboration include expanding primary markets, improving the institutional framework for long-term household savings, promoting individual investor participation, encouraging technological advancements, enhancing the efficiency of regional capital market infrastructure, and sharing best practices.

Well-functioning capital markets are vital to the real economy, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, providing essential funding for fast-growing and innovative companies, and enabling households to benefit from the economic success of the corporate sector. Stock exchanges in the region play a critical role in developing the local capital markets ecosystem.

The Macedonian Stock Exchange has long been committed to pursuing collaboration and integration with other exchanges. Its inclusion in this EBRD-led initiative represents an important step toward realizing this strategic goal.