Mukajetov on a possible political engagement: “I’m always here for Macedonia”

“I’m always here for Macedonia,” said “Alkaloid” CEO Zhivko Mukajetov in an interview on the “360 degrees” show on MRT 1, answering questions about a possible entry into politics, as Fokus reports.

Mukajetov revealed that over the past 15 years he has received several offers for political engagement, two of which were serious and involved high political offices — but he did not specify which functions were in question. When asked additionally whether he had been offered the presidency of the state or the premiership, he gave no concrete answer: “I won’t answer that question concretely, and I think a contribution to one’s country should not be seen only through the prism of whether someone is engaged in politics or not. I’m always here for Macedonia.”

His choice, as he explained, is to contribute through his work at “Alkaloid,” his engagement in sport and in society, stressing that family is the most important thing. “Personally, I think every success of ‘Alkaloid’ is a success of Macedonia,” Mukajetov said in the interview given on the occasion of the company’s 90th anniversary.

Asked about his experiences with businessmen who in the past accepted ministerial and deputy-prime-ministerial functions, Mukajetov expressed regret that their participation in government damaged some of the trust they had, since — in his view — no genuine way was found to convert their business knowledge into added value through the exercise of public functions. He noted that business and politics have different systems, decision-making mechanisms and kinds of responsibility, but also shared demands: integrity, the ability to make difficult decisions and to manage quality people.

“All of us, each in our own field of action, must contribute to making things better in the country,” concluded the head of “Alkaloid,” the largest pharmaceutical company in North Macedonia, which he has led for two decades.