The United States announced today that it is denying entry to its territory to North Macedonia’s well-known businessman and former deputy prime minister, Kocho Angiusef.

“The United States considers former Deputy Prime Minister Tof North Macedonia as generally undesirable for entry into the United States, due to his involvement in major corruption cases. While serving as deputy prime minister, Angiusef abused his official position to serve his private business interests, undermining the trust of the citizens of North Macedonia in government institutions and public processes,” the State Department said in a statement.

Koco Angiusef had been the deputy prime minister of North Macedonia, responsible for economic affairs, from June 2017 to January 2019, in the then government of Zoran Zaev.

Except Kocho Angiusef, the US also bans his wife from entering their territory, as well as his two children.

“Today’s action shows that the United States stands with those in North Macedonia who are calling for the accountability of corrupt government officials. This reaffirms America’s commitment to fighting corruption, which harms the public interest, hinders the economic prosperity of countries, and limits the ability of governments to respond effectively to the needs of their people,” the State Department said in a statement.

Koco Angiusef is a professor at the Technical University of Skopje and one of the best-known businessmen of North Macedonia.

Last month, the United States blacklisted the well-known Russian businessman active in North Macedonia, Sergey Samsonenko, and in July 2023 it blacklisted the well-known North Macedonian businessman Orche Kamtsev, also for their involvement in corruption cases in North Macedonia.