Taken from U.S. Embassy in Skopje website.

On Wednesday, March 22, 2006, a ceremony was held to mark the official start of construction of the new U.S. Embassy Compound in Skopje.
 
The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Branko Crvenkovski; U.S. Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic; and the Director and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Major General Charles E. Williams, U.S. Army (Retired), participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new U.S. Embassy, on Gradiste, overlooking the River Vardar in Skopje.
 
About 300 guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony, including officials of the Government of Macedonia, municipal officials, other political party representatives, members of the diplomatic corps, businesspeople, leaders of religious communities, people residing in the Gradiste area, journalists and others. 
 
In her remarks, Ambassador Milovanovic stated that the new American Embassy will be “a symbol of our friendship, our partnership, and the democratic values that we share. The new Embassy is a major U.S. investment in this country, and an expression of confidence in the future of the Republic of Macedonia as an independent, stable, multi-ethnic state.”
 
President Crvenkovski observed that the Republic of Macedonia opened its newly reconstructed Embassy in Washington, D.C., in October 2005, and that the groundbreaking in Skopje was an additional symbol of friendship, understanding and cooperation.  “Since the official establishment of diplomatic relations and regular bilateral contacts, the U.S. has been giving its contribution to our efforts for internal stabilization and construction of a prosperous state based on rule of law and principles of democracy,” added the President.
 
General Williams said that “at times, in excess of 200 workers will be employed at this project site” and that the construction project is expected to add more than 31.6 million dollars to the local economy.  “The design of the new Embassy will include elements of Macedonian architecture to ensure that these buildings contribute to the rich fabric of architecture in Skopje,” he noted.
 
Work on the new U.S. Embassy Compound in Skopje is expected to be substantially completed by the end of April 2008.  Further details about the construction of the new facility are found in the attached Fact Sheet.