Makedonien|Mazedonien News

President Gjorge Ivanov opened honorary consulate of Macedonia in Tucson, federal state of Arizona. Jason Miko, long-standing activist for Macedonia's rights, was named honorary consul. Miko is former close associate to President Boris Trajkovski, columnist in Dnevnik daily and one of the authors of "Name is a Name" film. - Jason Miko is one of the many Americans who come to Macedonia to help us. The relations between Macedonia and US are not only friendly but are also partnership relations. We are very grateful to the USA, federal state of Arizona and Jason Miko for what they are doing for Macedonia. That's why we are together in all peacekeeping operations both in Iraq and in Afghanistan, Ivanov said at the consulate opening ceremony. Miko shortly presented Macedonia as a country that many can learn from about its tolerance and friendship and a country which conducts economic reforms aimed at providing prosperity to its citizens. Macedonian Ambassa...

Macedonia and Spain foster excellent military cooperation, which is expected to be further bolstered, concluded the countries' chiefs of staffs, Major General Goranco Koteski and General Admiral Fernando García Sánchez at Thursday's meeting in Skopje. The interlocutors discussed the possibility of sending Macedonian Army members to be trained in Madrid at the Counter Improvised Explosive Device Center of Excellence as well as ways for providing logistic support to the units in international peace missions. "It is crucial that Krivolak army training area has been offered to the Spanish armed forces to be used for trainings prior to peace missions and for executing joint exercises," Major General Koteski said after the meeting. He added that today's meeting with his Spanish counterpart would instigate more successful collaboration between the countries' armies. Pointing out that the armies of Macedonia and Spain had been cooperating in seve...

Health Minister Nikola Todorov signed Thursday a memorandum of cooperation with representatives of Sweden's Karolinska University Hospital and company Stockholm Care. Minister Todorov said the goal of the cooperation is identification of fields of cooperation with regards to clinical medicine, education, as well as clinical research and development, with a special focus on telemedicine. "A direct link will be established between Macedonia and the Karolinska hospital for communication between doctors. The Swedish hospital has developed an excellent telemedicine concept that will be transferred to Macedonia", stressed Todorov. He added that company Stockholm Care was responsible for management of international cooperation with regards to medical services and healthcare, representing an important coordination link for international medical services of Karolinska University Hospital. 

Macedonia has Germany's support in its EU integration. Germany will maintain the credibility of the enlargement process following Croatia's accession, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Bundestag officials told Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki in Berlin on Wednesday. "They will insist on maintaining the principle - achievements followed by transfer to an appropriate stage. This support by Germany is exceptionally significant", FM Poposki told MIA. According to him, there is no other obstacle for Macedonia other than Athens, which prevents the country's accession negotiations. "We believe that the importance of the European agenda will result in a voice of reason and support on their part, thus keeping the enlargement process on the EU agenda", added Poposki. Asked if Macedonia would get Berlin's support over a date for start of accession talks at the European Council summit, Poposki stressed there was no dilemma in...

90% of the members of the Macedonian-German Economic Association would invest again in Macedonia, shows a poll on the business climate in Macedonia, conducted in the first quarter of 2013 by the Macedonian-German Economic Association and the Skopje office of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce. The companies have said that economic conditions in Macedonia are satisfactory perceiving the country as a business destination, however they have criticized the effectiveness of the public administration, legal safety and the country's EU integration process, according to a conclusion of the poll which was presented on Wednesday. 50% of the association's members say they plan to increase their investments and 50% say they also expect export to be increased. 21% of the interviewed companies say their condition is better than last year, 48% believe their state will not change and 21% expect it to deteriorate. With respect to the situation in the fie...

Baku will host an Azerbaijani-Macedonian business meeting on April 19 in the framework of the official visit of Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to Baku, the Export and Investment Promotion Fund of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO) reported on Tuesday. A presentation of business and investment opportunities of Macedonia will take place at the meeting. The meeting of businessmen from the two countries will be organized by AZPROMO with the support of the Economic Development Ministry of Azerbaijan. In late 2012, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Macedonia amounted to $416.070. To improve the flow of tourists and ensure development of the trade and economic cooperation, in March the Macedonian authorities once again extended the visa-free regime for citizens of Azerbaijan and other former Soviet countries, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, until March 15, 2014.

Tausende Mazedonier haben einen verurteilten Polizeioffizier bei der Rückkehr in seine Heimat begrüsst. Die Ankunft von Johan Tarculovski nach seiner achtjährigen Haft wurde im Fernsehen live übertragen. Die Menge skandierte den Namen des früheren Polizeioffiziers, der 2005 festgenommen und 2008 vom Uno-Kriegsverbrechertribunal für das ehemalige Jugoslawien verurteilt worden war. Den letzten Teil seiner Haftstrafe sass Tarculovski in Diez, Deutschland ab. Tarculovski war der einzige Mazedonier, der vom Uno-Tribunal verurteilt wurde. Er wurde für schuldig befunden, eine Polizeirazzia im Dorf Ljuboten im Norden Mazedoniens angeführt und dabei drei Personen albanischer Herkunft ermordet und acht Häuser zerstört zu haben. Mazedonien hatte das Uno-Gericht mehrfach erfolglos angerufen, auch die albanischen Rebellen zu belangen, die 2001 einen Aufstand gegen die Regierung führten. Nach seiner Rückkehr in der Hauptstadt Skopje legte Tarculovski am Monument für die Opfer de...

Moskau – Russische Bürger dürfen bis März 2014 ohne Visum nach Mazedonien einreisen; es sind auch keine zusätzlichen Bedingungen erforderlich, teilte am Donnertag das russische Außenministerium mit.  "Somit brauchen russische Bürger in dem oben genannten Zeitraum für eine kurzzeitige Einreise von bis zu 90 Tagen pro sechs Monate ab dem Tag der ersten Einreise nicht an der Staatsgrenze keine Visa, touristische Voucher oder Einladungen bzw. Bürgerschaftsschreiben vorzulegen. Der gültige Reisepass und die für den Aufenthalt in diesem Land erforderliche Geldsumme reichen aus", erläuterte man beim Ministerium.  "Russische Bürger, darunter auch Vertreter von Reisebüros, die auf mazedonischem Territorium arbeiten oder ein Unternehmen betreiben wollen, müssen jedoch die mazedonischen Behörden um entsprechende Genehmigungen bitten". 

Skopje. Association of Historians of the Republic of Macedonia (AHRM) protests against amendment No. 8 in the EP resolution adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee, which according to them, is seeking review of Macedonian history, online edition of the Macedonian newspaper Dnevnik announced.  "In our opinion, mutual respect for identity, history, culture, languages and traditions are the basis for the neighborhood and mutual understanding of all countries, including Macedonia and Bulgaria. History of the two nations, as stated in the amendment should not mean challenge of the values that are established in past centuries. So we ask whether the demand to tackle the "ideological interpretation of history" in Macedonian textbooks means the appropriate action to Bulgarian textbooks on history. Therefore, recommendations for the formation of a joint committee experts in history and education should be considered only if such committee contribute to an objective interpret...

The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) with 38 votes in favour and 13 against adopted Monday a Resolution on the 2012 progress report on Macedonia. With the resolution, the European Council is urged to set a date for opening of accession talks with Macedonia without further delay, media reports from Brussels. In the first amendment of the resolution, the European Parliament expresses regret that for four years in a row the Council has decided not to adopt the European Commission's recommendation to open accession negotiations. "We congratulate the EU Enlargement Commissioner for his initiatives and calls on him to include an assessment of the cost of non-enlargement in the report he prepares, including key risks for the country should the current status quo persist," reads the amendment. The second compromise amendment highlights the importance of good neighbourly relations, being an essential part of the EU accession process an...

The Jewish Community in Macedonia and the Holocaust Fund of Jews in Macedonia mark Monday Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event will be held in the Skopje-based Holocaust Memorial Center, including a book promotion. Yom Hashoah has been held since 1951, when the Jewish Parliament (Knesset) adopted a decision commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in spring 1943. 

Skopje. “ I am not optimistic that Macedonia will soon become member of NATO. Even if there was a summit, like the one in Bucharest, held tomorrow, I am not sure if something would have changed, compared to the situation in 2008, when Greece imposed a veto on Macedonia’s accession in the Alliance ,” commented Daniel Serwer, chairman of the board of the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, as cited by Macedonian Dnevnik daily. “ The decision of The Hague clears out the situation from juridical point of view – much more than in 2008. Obviously, Greece disagrees with the decision. The problem is that neither the Germans, nor the Americans are ready to tell Athens that Macedonia should join NATO. This is not the best solution for Skopje, but yet it is better than nothing ,” Serwer said.

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) Macedonia has decided to continue its visa-free treatment for Taiwanese nationals, effective April 1, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. The move extends the visa-free privileges for Taiwanese passport holders for another five years, the ministry said in a statement. Macedonia first began granting Taiwanese nationals visa-free privileges April 1, 2012 for a one-year period, the ministry said. The renewed visa exemption will continue to make it more convenient for Taiwanese passport holders traveling to Macedonia for business or tourism, the ministry said, welcoming the Balkan country's decision. Taiwanese nationals now enjoy visa-free treatment or landing visas from 132 countries and territories, according to the ministry.

Skopje-based Sol Hydropower company launched Tuesday its investment worth 15 million euros in the municipality of Tearce after marking the start of the construction of a small hydropower plant on Bistrica river. The Economy Ministry and the company have signed four Bistrica concession agreements and preparatory activities over the power plants' construction have been initiated. "The concessioner in the municipality of Tearce will build three small hydropower stations (HPPs) with an overal capacity of 7.5 megawatts and an expected annual production of 28 gigawatt hours," Minister of Economy Valon Saraqini said. Tearce municipal mayor Hisen Hasani stated that the construction of the hydropower station was a "historic moment" for the municipality. The company's manager Trajce Nikolov said that the project and its realisation provided the best example of cooperation between the investor, local authorities and central authorities. Eleven sma...

A plant of the German-based automotive company Draexlmaier, which is being built in Kavadarci, is named best production facility by fDi Inteligence - a specialist division of The Financial Times in connection to foreign direct investments and their promotion around the globe. The production facility in Macedonia is recognised as part of the annual edition 'FDI Top Projects of the Year 2012 – Investment That Broke Ground'. Covering over 16.000 greenfield projects worldwide nominated for 2012, the e-edition of fDi Intelligence for February and March presented the winners in several sectors and categories. The Draexlmaier plant in Kavadarci intended for production of wiring systems in the automotive industry was chosen amongst numerous and prestigious competitors, including Mercedes-Benz in Hungary, Yazaki in Bulgaria and Bosch in Romania, the cabinet of the minister for foreign investments, Vele Samak, says in a press release. The 30-million euro Draexlmaier inv...

The seventh edition of Skopje Fashion Weekend (spring-summer 2013) kicks off Monday with a project dubbed "Retrospective of the Fashion in Former Yugoslavia and Macedonia 1983-2013". The project aims at presenting the process of creating collections that know no boundaries. It is a retrospective that brings you back in time and showcases what was happening in the 1980s and what is being created nowadays, organisers say. Three decades of fashion are presented in an exhibition of photographs, video, clothes and accessories by the companies MAKPRIMAT, Astibo, Bela, Briteks, Rudnik, Godel and other brands. The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture and realised in partnership with Soravia Center Skopje.