Domestic companies should intensify cooperation with foreign investors. The benefit will be mutual and enormous, along with cost reduction of production, transport and import, time savings, exchange of technologies, know-how and skills, increased competitiveness, conquering new markets, reinvesting etc, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski told the business community on Monday.

"Taking into consideration our policies for intensive improvement of the business environment, the number of foreign direct investments and companies has started to rise, but the level of their business cooperation with Macedonian counterparts is unsatisfactory and there is room for improvement", said Gruevski at forum "Business Networking of Foreign Investors in Macedonia with Domestic Companies-Potential Suppliers".

According to him, there are many reasons for establishment of closer relations and business partnerships between foreign and domestic companies, the first step being communication, listening to the needs and requirements of foreign companies, followed by presentation of the offer by domestic companies.

"We remain consistent to the efforts for openness to the business community. Our mission remains the same - doing business in Macedonia to be an easy, fast-growing and profitable process. This environment will result in progress and development of any company operating here", said PM Gruevski.

Vice Premier and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski urged the involvement of banks and financial institutions through favorable loans.

"The key is how can Macedonian companies integrate in the chain of foreign companies, how to turn the macroeconomic effects on the micro-level, towards increasing the added value from the presence of foreign investors", said Stavreski.

Vice Premier for Economic Affairs Vladimir Pesevski said cooperation of domestic and foreign companies should become one of the crucial segments, urging domestic firms to upgrade technologies, management, R&D at the required level.

"This will probably happen in the coming 20 years, but the path must be troden, the first step must be taken", underlined Pesevski.