Macedonian News

Former Macedonian president Kiro Gligorov dies

2012-01-02T12:14:00.004-05:00

Kiro Gligorov, the first democratically elected president of Macedonia who shepherded his nation through a bloodless secession from the former Yugoslavia and narrowly survived an assassination attempt, has died. He was 94. The head of Gligorov's office, Zivko Kondev, said Monday that the former president died in his sleep at his home in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on Sunday evening. The exact cause of death was not immediately clear. Gligorov had been in good spirits on New Year's Eve,...

Macedonia quarterfinal Eurobasket against Luthuania

2011-09-15T17:21:00.001-04:00

Macedonia spending more for less

2010-07-14T19:15:00.005-04:00

Despite being ranked amongst the top-10 reformers in the World Bank's "Doing Business" report in 2008 and 2009, not many investors appear convinced that Macedonia is the "New Business Heaven in Europe" that the government campaign suggests. Data shows that Macedonia still fails to attract enough foreign direct investment (FDI) to justify the amount of effort and investment that's being put into attracting global investor interest. While some neighbouring countries are receiving more than...

125 HIV cases in Macedonia

2010-07-14T19:15:00.002-04:00

One hundred twenty-five HIV positive persons were registered in Macedonia, 50 percent of them were registered in the last six years. The worrying fact is that the country has seen continuous growth in the spread of HIV. Unofficially, last year for the treatment of 25 HIV positive people were donated 30,000 euros from the Global Fund, said Elizabeta Boskovska of the citizens association "Hera" at today's press conference, which was prepared for the government and signed by 12 citizens'...

Constitutional name more important than EU, NATO accession: polls

2010-07-14T19:14:00.003-04:00

Preserving the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia turns to be more important for citizens than country’s accession in the EU and NATO, state the results of a poll conducted by the Macedonian European Affairs Directorate, the online edition of Greek Naftemporikireports. 66.5% of the respondents have backed the constitutional name of Republic of Macedonia, while 26.2% think that the accession in the European-Atlantic structures is more important. There is serious difference in the...

Macedonian PM Gruevski meets Croatian President Josipovic

2010-07-14T19:14:00.000-04:00

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and visiting Croatian President Ivo Josipovic expressed satisfaction Monday with Skopje-Zagreb bilateral relations and cooperation. Gruevski extended gratitude for Croatia's continuous support of Macedonia's efforts for swift NATO and EU membership. Croatian experience with the EU accession talks is rather significant for Macedonia, which expects same methodology of membership negotiations and thus great assistance from Croatia, Gruevski said. Despite...

Macedonia parliament approves revised budget

2010-07-14T19:12:00.003-04:00

Macedonia's parliament on Wednesday approved a revised budget, cutting revenues and spending in order to keep the public deficit at 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The revised budget includes a 3.1 percent spending cut while revenues are predicted to be down 3.3 percent, Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said. The revision of the budget was aimed at "preserving fiscal stability during the crisis ... as well as social stability," said Stavreski, who is also a deputy prime...

Greek citizens travel to Macedonia, Bulgaria for gasoline, cigarettes....

2010-07-14T19:12:00.000-04:00

Hundreds of Greeks travel daily across the border to neighboring Bulgaria and Macedonia to obtain gasoline, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and many other products at lower prices, reads Greek daily "Agelioforos". The successive increase of excise tax and VAT in Greece has opened the price range on these products, leading consumers and professionals from many border areas (Kilkis, Serres, Drama, Evros, etc.) to focus on markets in Bulgaria and Macedonia, not only to obtain gasoline and...

Macedonia to use Latvian experience with EU, NATO integration processes

2010-07-14T19:11:00.002-04:00

Macedonian, Latvian Presidents Gjorge Ivanov and Valdis Zatlers discussed Wednesday in Skopje on sharing the experiences with EU, NATO integration processes and further bolstering of the overall cooperation, in particular the economic one. - Opening of the EU entry talks is Macedonia's top priority, as it is a cohesive system for a society like Macedonia, Ivanov said at a joint press conference with his Latvian counterpart. Macedonia and Latvia should bolster the cooperation, in...

Katarina Ivanovska – J Crew Swimwear & Bikini Photoshoot

2010-07-13T11:22:00.000-04:00

Katarina Ivanovska (Macedonian: Катарина Ивановска}; born 18 August 1988 in Skopje, SR Macedonia is a Macedonian model. She began her modeling career in 2004, appearing at Milan Fashion Week after winning the Look Models International model search in Macedonia. In December, 2004, she appeared in a pictorial for Elle magazine and has also appeared in Citizen K, Stiletto and the Italian and Russian Vogue. She has been featured on the covers of Diva and Maxima magazines and in advertisements for...

EU to extend Erwan Fouere’s mandate with 6 months

2010-07-13T11:21:00.000-04:00

The EU will extend the mandate of its special representative to Macedonia Erwar Fouere with other six months until the European External Action Service (EEAS), which will develop common diplomatic network, starts functioning, Macedonian Vreme daily informs. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has confirmed the news recently, while a couple of days ago the European Parliament has passed a declaration which envisages for the EU to have a common...

Record 170-meter wooden sculpture of an eel placed on Macedonia's Ohrid lake

2010-07-13T11:20:00.002-04:00

A 170-meter- (186-yard-) long wooden sculpture of an eel has been secured with anchors in Macedonia's Ohrid Lake in an effort to win the Guinness record for longest wooden sculpture ever placed in water. The installation was created by sculptor Sergei Cingulovski, who joined 50 wooden panels together. The sculpture, made of Canadian poplar, weighs 2.5 tons. The sculptor said Sunday that he worked nine months on the sculpture. The sculpture will be officially measured Monday,...

Macedonian parliament speaker survives no confidence vote

2010-07-13T11:19:00.003-04:00

Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski survived a no confidence vote Saturday (July 10th) with 68 lawmakers backing him and 14 opposed, after marathon debates. The motion was filed by the main opposition party SDSM over a July 1st incident at the parliament building. The SDSM accuses the police of spying on their activities after a police agent tried to record their conversation with a group of disgruntled workers. That led to verbal exchanges, pushing and shoving. The SDSM accused Veljanoski of...

Macedonia to invest 17 Mil. Euros for Faster Trains

2010-07-13T11:19:00.000-04:00

Loan of EUR 17,500,000 will be used for improvement of railroad infrastructure of Corridor 10. The money has been provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and construction work is expected to start next year. Four sections Tabanovce-Kumanovo, Miravci-Smokvica, Zgropolac-Negotin will be renovated by 2013. The investment should speed up the railroad traffic. Mile Janakieski, Macedonian transport minister says that Corridor 10 is of great importance for Macedonia...

Macedonia Wants Share in NPP Belene

2010-07-13T11:18:00.000-04:00

Reportedly, Skopje has been probing for opportunities to get a minority stake in Bulgaria's NPP Belene. Macedonia is the second Balkan country to show interest in the project after Serbia, but it has not announced its intentions, yet. A few countries in the Balkan region have shown interest in the construction of Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant. It's good if our neighbors join in, as they will provide part of the funds necessary to build the plan, as well as potential markets for the...

50th Ohrid Summer Festival opens

2010-07-13T11:17:00.003-04:00

Opening ceremony of the 50th Ohrid Summer Festival will be held Monday evening in the Antique Theatre with a concert of Russian National Orchestra and Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski conducted by Mikhail Pletnev. The concert as maestro Pletnev announced will include pieces by the great Russian composers - Fourth Symphony of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and great concert of Sergei Rachmaninoff. - Simon Trpceski is part of the new generation of artists who will represent the classical art...

Commitment to implement key projects in Macedonia's overall transport infrastructure is planned

2010-07-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

The Government of Macedonia deems that investments in transportation will contribute to direct growth of the economy, Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski noted in his address delivered at Tuesday's regional meeting of transport ministers in Zagreb. A joint declaration was signed at the event binding SEE countries on regional cooperation in an effort to accelerate the process of their EU integration. Talks also focused on infrastructural and transport projects in...

New Macedonian Army contingent goes to Afghanistan

2010-07-10T14:45:00.003-04:00

A new contingent of the Macedonian Army departed for Afghanistan on Friday, Macedonian Kanal 5 television station reports. This is the tenth contingent of the Macedonian Army. It is comprised of 149 soldiers, the most senior national representative and two officers, who will be positioned in Kabul. The Macedonian Army sent its first contingent in 2006, the television station adds.

US envoy: Time right for Macedonia name solution

2010-07-10T14:45:00.000-04:00

Greece's presence in international fora remains unaffected by the economic crisis and the tough economic conjecture due to the international prestige enjoyed by Prime Minister George Papandreou, US ambassador to Greece Daniel Speckhard underlined on Friday. Speaking to reporters at the US consulate in Thessaloniki, he praised Greece's economic presence in the Balkans, pointing out that as a member of the EU the country represents the greater European market. As regards the prospects for...

Interior Ministry supervises wahhabi followers

2010-07-10T14:44:00.000-04:00

We supervise the emergence and distribution of Islamic fundamentalism and radical Islam in Macedonia, the Macedonian Interior Ministry said after the head of the Islamic Religious Community Sulejman Rexhepi had said that the ministry is passive about the emergence of wahhabi followers in the country, Macedonian Nova Makedonija daily writes on Friday. “Once we find serious evidence supporting the suspicions that some people have committed a crime, the Interior Ministry will act in compliance...

Belgium to try to launch Macedonia’s EU accession talks

2010-07-09T18:55:00.003-04:00

Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said before the European Parliament that Belgium will try to launch the pre-accession talks with Macedonia, Macedonian Utrinski Vesnik informs. “As far as Macedonia is concerned, the Belgian EU Presidency will try to achieve agreement on launching the pre-accession talks with the country,” Yves Leterme said at the presentation of the priorities of the Belgium EU Presidency.

Radical Islam in Macedonia worries Western observers

2010-07-09T18:55:00.000-04:00

Western diplomats and religious experts have voiced concerns about the spread of radical Islam among Muslim communities in the Balkans, after it transpired that alleged Wahabist radicals are operating and increasing their influence in Macedonia. The foreign-inspired religious group is active in the area around Skopje, Macedonia's capital. It has tried to perform a putsch in the Islamic religious community (IRC) after an incident in the Isa-Bey Mosque in Skopje last week. The Isa-Bey...

Konjanovski, Milososki meet Rasmussen, NATO ambassadors

2010-07-09T18:53:00.000-04:00

Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski and Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki took part Wednesday at the North-Atlantic Council's session in the format 28+1 to discuss Macedonia's progress in implementing the 11th cycle of the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP), followed by a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Konjanovski and Milososki referred to the ongoing reforms in Macedonia's army, administration, judiciary, in line with NATO accession criteria. "Ambassadors...

EU envoy in Macedonia criticises lack of political dialogue

2010-07-09T18:52:00.002-04:00

EU Representative in Macedonia Erwan Fouere criticised the government and political parties Thursday (July 8th) for avoiding dialogue and delaying the reform process. At a meeting of parliament's EU affairs committee, he said that Macedonia has enough time -- ahead of the European Commission's next progress report in November -- to gain some ground. Fouere also called for strengthening the judiciary and public administration. Belgian Ambassador Mark Mickelson, who also attended the meeting,...

Government slashes ambassadors’ salaries by 5% over crisis

2010-07-09T18:51:00.003-04:00

The Macedonian government has slashed the salaries of the ambassadors by 5%, Macedonian Kirilica news website reports. The payment reduction comes at the proposal of Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski and is one of the government’s measures to cushion the crisis fallout. The news website says that a 5% reduction is not a large one. The ambassadors’ salaries run to more than MKD 120,000 (MKD 61 = EUR 1) and after the slash their monthly payment will go down by some MKD 6,000.