The United States Ambassador to North Macedonia defended her government’s decision to impose sanctions on Macedonian businessman Jordan Kamchev, stating that the measure was necessary to fight corruption and would have a positive impact on the Balkan country’s aspirations to join the European Union.

The US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against 52-year-old Macedonian businessman Jordan Kamchev on Wednesday.

The sanctions include freezing all of his current assets in the United States and prohibiting any business dealings with American citizens.

“Abuse of power, money laundering, bribery, and other acts he has committed not only erode public trust in the justice sector in North Macedonia but also represent a betrayal to the people of this country,” US Ambassador Angela Aggeler told journalists in Skopje.

In order for the country to achieve its objective of EU membership, “corruption cannot go unchecked”, Aggeler emphasized.

Kamchev heads a powerful business group with investments in real estate, healthcare, construction, and agriculture, and has been the subject of several high-profile corruption investigations in North Macedonia.

He is the director of “Orka Holding”, a company founded by his father in 1990.

He is also a co-owner of the private hospital “Sistina” in Skopje, among many other businesses.

The sanctions imply the blocking of all his properties on US soil, and Kamchev is prohibited from doing business with US entities.

Government officials in North Macedonia have not commented on the imposition of sanctions against the businessman.

The European Union has listed progress in judicial reforms and the fight against corruption as priorities for North Macedonia’s EU membership efforts.