Energy & Infrastructure: North Macedonia and Serbia signed a deal in Skopje for a 67-kilometre gas pipeline, targeting operation as early as 2028 (completion by 2027), alongside a separate North Macedonia–Greece interconnector expected in 2027—positioning Skopje for “vertical energy connectivity” and potential south-north transit. Road Building: Construction has started on a 10.5-kilometre motorway from Skopje to the Kosovo border, with tunnels, bridges and viaducts; the project is due to finish in four years and is framed as a key trade corridor toward Albania’s port of Durrës and onward to Serbia and Montenegro. Regional Energy Investment: Hungary’s 4iG is launching an energy division and a holding company, exploring SMR cooperation with US-based X-Energy and looking at wind and storage opportunities in North Macedonia and Montenegro. Mining & Markets: Central Asia Metals’ H1 2026 earnings call highlights its producing base-metal assets, including the Sasa underground lead-zinc mine in North Macedonia. Agribusiness: Northern Macedonian table grapes face a record harvest but weaker sales prices, with growers reporting lower-than-expected market rates amid strong competition from Greece, Spain and Italy. Demographics & Education: First-grade enrolment for 2026–27 is already sharply down versus last year, reinforcing pressure to cut classes and close small rural schools. Legal/Business Climate: North Macedonia’s appeals court confirmed the acquittal of former PM Nikola Gruevski in the “Talir 2” case tied to the VMRO-DPMNE “White Palace,” blocking confiscation of the headquarters and other frozen properties.