Sopro hosts British Business Association launch

Last night, on the rooftop of our Skopje office, Sopro had the honour of hosting the launch of the British Business Association (BBA) in Macedonia.

The BBA has been launched to promote trade relations between the United Kingdom and North Macedonia, representing the interests of UK companies in the country, as well as other companies that have UK business interests.

The evening featured many distinguished guests, including North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, British Ambassador Matthew Lawson, UK Trade Envoy Martin Vickers, and various cabinet members of North Macedonia. 

There was a lively crowd in attendance, including representatives from the business community, non-governmental organisations, and many of our fantastic Sopro employees, all gathered to celebrate the strengthening ties between the UK and North Macedonia.

^{Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski (right) and Ambassador Matthew Lawson}

British Ambassador Matthew Lawson highlighted the importance of the partnership between the two nations. “North Macedonia is the UK’s largest trading partner in the Western Balkans, a testament to our successful collaboration. 

The launch of the BBA is a milestone that further cements our commitment to fostering transparency, sustainability, innovation, cooperation, and partnership in the Macedonian business environment,” Lawson stated.

^{Trade Envoy Martin Vickers during his speech}

North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski took the stage for an impromptu speech, emphasising the potential for growth and prosperity through continued partnership and collaboration between the two countries.

^{Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski addresses the crowd}

Ryan Welmans, the CEO and co-founder of Sopro, also addressed the attendees. He shared the story of founding Sopro in 2015, highlighting the company’s commitment to investing in North Macedonia and delight in participating in the BBA project. 

“We see the formation of the BBA as a hugely positive step in the economic cooperation between the UK and North Macedonia, and we are thrilled to be part of this initiative,” Welmans said.

^{Ryan Welmans (left), Martin Vickers (centre) and Matthew Lawson on stage}

“I can say with clarity that the people we have met and employed in Skopje have been central to the success and growth of our business to date. As a result, we now employ 200 professionals in our Skopje office, ranging from marketing experts to software developers. It’s been a huge success story to date, and we owe much of that to Skopje and the people here.”

The evening was a celebration of the strong bond between North Macedonia and the United Kingdom, and the continued success this partnership can bring. The launch of the BBA marked a new chapter of enhanced trade relations and shared success stories, with Sopro proudly at the forefront of this exciting venture.