US Embassies Direct Queries to the White House

In the wake of Trump’s executive order suspending US aid for a duration of 90 days, the US embassy in North Macedonia chose not to provide comments or answer any media inquiries, including those from BIRN, regarding the specific aid amounts and details pertaining to the frozen funds. They stated that such inquiries should be directed to the White House.

The majority of US aid in North Macedonia is channeled through USAID, with additional funding for projects provided by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Data from the USAID website indicates that over $72 million allocated for 22 ongoing projects in North Macedonia is currently paused. These projects focus on issues such as combatting corruption, enhancing economic competitiveness, promoting social engagement among the public, various youth-related initiatives, and support for local municipalities and authorities.

The total amount at stake is even larger since USAID also supports six regional projects across the Balkans that encompass North Macedonia, totaling around $140 million. Sources within the NGO sector of North Macedonia have expressed uncertainty about the ultimate outcome.

“We cannot provide comments yet as certain aspects remain unclear to us. However, we are concerned. It is still uncertain whether these funds are temporarily halted during evaluation or if this is merely a preliminary step towards permanent cuts,” said the director of a Skopje-based NGO to BIRN, requesting anonymity.

As per this source, all US-funded initiatives in North Macedonia are on hold at the moment, with payments for ongoing projects only being made for work completed up until January 27. All expenses incurred after this date are currently unresolved.