Relationship dossier
Italy
North Macedonia
Relationship assessment
Bilateral defense cooperation and Italian support for North Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration
Italy toward North Macedonia
+25Italy has supported North Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and maintains bilateral defense cooperation with the country.
North Macedonia toward Italy
+20North Macedonia participates in bilateral defense cooperation with Italy under a government-to-government framework.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship is shaped by bilateral defense cooperation and Italy’s support for North Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. These provide a practical basis for cooperation, although the breadth and implementation of bilateral arrangements are not fully clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Italy and North Macedonia maintain practical bilateral cooperation, including defense ties. Italy has supported North Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, and the two governments have a bilateral defense-cooperation framework. The relationship is broadly cooperative, though the scope and intensity of cooperation are difficult to characterize in detail.
Key developments
Italy and North Macedonia established a bilateral framework for defense cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- Details of recent Italian support for North Macedonia’s European Union accession process are limited.