President Gjorge Ivanov opened Thursday a conference organized by the National Committee on Byzantine and Medieval Studies titled “The Samuel State – 1,000 Years later”, making a parallel between the circumstances that had led to the collapse of the Samuel empire and the current developments in Macedonia. “A millennium ago, the Samuel state had faced similar challenges as the contemporary Macedonian state. Those challenges include denial, non-recognition, blocks, isolation, erroneous naming. It is up to us to maintain the academic fre…
The first annual Macedonian E-commerce Conference will be held Friday organised by the Macedonian e-Commerce Association. President of Macedonian e-Commerce Association Nina Angelovska will give welcome speech, while Damjan Mancevski, Minister for Information Society and Administration and Jovan Despotovski, Director of Fund for Innovation and Technology Development, will deliver opening keynotes at the event. Under the theme “eCommerce: The eFuture for eMacedonia!” the conference will tackle four main subjects: Development, Payme…
In Macedonia 79.3% of the households had access to the Internet at home in the first quarter of 2018. According to the data of the State Statistical Office, the participation of households with Fixed broadband connection in the total number of households is 70.4% in 2018. In the first quarter of 2018, 79.2%% of the total population aged 15-74 used the Internet, and 68.7% used the Internet every day or almost every day. Mobile phone or a smart phone was the most used device for access to the Internet, by 81% of Internet users in th…
Nearly one million euros from the secret funds of the Greek Foreign Ministry has been used to finance media outlets in Macedonia and Albania and as financial support for Orthodox Christian churches, according to reports published by Greece’s iefimerida news portal. The text prompted a reaction from the PM’s office, MIA reports from Athens also citing reports of the Efimerida ton sindakton newspaper that the prosecution has ordered investigation into how and who leaked the confidential information. iefimerida writes that the inform…
Macedonia’s economy recovered significantly since 2017 and positive movements are emerging supported by private investments and consumption. Growth this year is projected at 2.5 percent, next year at 2.9 percent and at 3.2 percent in 2020. These projections can be affected by interruption of the reform process by election cycles and failure to realize fiscal consolidation. This is the assessment of the World Bank in its Regular Economic Report for the Western Balkans, presented Thursday in Skopje. Macedonia made the biggest progre…
Macedonia is ranked 84th in the 2018 Global Competitiveness Report, released by the World Economic Forum. Comparing to 2016-2017 a slide down from 68th. The GCR includes 140 countries, assessed in 12 pillars: institutions, infrastructure, ICT adoption, macroeconomic stability, health, skills, product market, labor market, financial system, market size, business dynamism, and innovation capability. Macedonia is best ranked in pillar business dynamism (57th) and worst in market size (109th). The United States tops the 2018 Globa…
The Ministry of Transport and Communications has again cancelled the public call for financial support of airlines, released on September 13. Minister Goran Sugareski told a press conference on Wednesday that Wizz Air was the only company to submit a bid, which does not correspond to the criteria of the public call. In the bid, Wizz Air is planning introduce four destinations from Ohrid-based airport “St.Paul the Apostle” as of August 2019, which goes against one of the tender criteria. “ The call clearly reads that the airlin…
The 37th Skopje Jazz Festival, which kicks off Thursday, is focused on contemporary jazz. The musicians scheduled to perform are coming especially for the festival and their concerts, with the exception of David Murray’s, are not part of tours. This is the main characteristic of the festival’s 37th edition, which makes it different from past editions. “Jazz, too, has its own transformations and in recent years, the trend in jazz is improvisation and creative music. Hence, the programme is more difficult relaying mostly in improvisatio…
We urge leaders in the Macedonian parliament to rise above partisan politics and seize this historic opportunity to secure a brighter future for the country, US State Department official told Greece’s state-run news agency ANA-MPA. In regard to the resignation of the Greece’s FM Nikos Kotzias, the US State Department thanked Greek official for his dedicated service to improving Greek-US relations and for his role in achieving the historic Prespa Agreement, MIA reports from Athens. “ The US strongly supports the agreement’s full im…
The Asian tiger mosquito has been discovered on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia. Mapping on the entire territory is ongoing aimed at discovering where the mosquito has spread. The agency conducts additional programmes on possibility whether the mosquito has transferred diseases to animals, Food and Veterinary Agency Director Zoran Atanasov and epidemiologist from the Institute of Public Health Dr. Zarko Karadzovski told Wednesday’s press conference. “In accordance to the results we have received, there is no confirmation of…
Parliament’s debate on the proposed constitutional changes resumes on Friday (Oct. 19), Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said after Wednesday’s session in which only SDSM MPs took part. Earlier in the day, VMRO-DPMNE MPs said they quit the debate calling it ‘futile’ and announcing they would be voting against the constitutional changes. Also, they urged MPs of the ruling majority to cancel their speeches and to begin voting on the government motion for changing the constitution. Speaking at the plenary session, SDSM MPs stressed t…
Genuine wood objects used by the people of West Africa in various rituals will be displayed at an exhibition entitled "Ghosts of Africa: Ritual Western African Art". The exhibition opens tomorrow in the Museum of Macedonia in Skopje. Over 70 ritual masks, sculptures and fabrics featured in the exhibition are owned by the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, founded in 1977. Its items will be displayed in Macedonia for the first time in its four-decade existence. The wood pieces, dating back to the mid-20th century, were us…
There will not be any other solution without accepting the Prespa Agreement, stated the head of the Greek diplomacy Nikos Kotsias after the meeting of the EU’s Council for Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg and also said that even with a simplified elementary school maths it is not possible to reach a better agreement on each side, “as the hard-lined oppositions in both countries claim.” As MIA’s correspondent from Athens reports, Kotsias has stated that yesterday’s meeting has started with issues related to Macedonia. -I explained tha…
Macedonia and the Balkans are remembering singer Todor "ToÅ¡e" Proeski, who tragically died in car crash near Nova Gradiska on this day 2007 at the age of 26. Tose was born on 25 January 1981 in Macedonia. His first stage appearance was already in 1993, when he sang at a children's festival. His successful career though started in 1996, when he took part in a teenage music festival. His first album was released in 1999 in Macedonian language, with his first single "Tvoite baknezi na moite beli kosuli" reaching n…
This is essentially the solution and assistance for resolving the energy problems in the Republic of Macedonia, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Koco Angjusev said Monday prior to signing of the memorandum of cooperation between the USAID’s Development of Regional Energy Markets (DREM) project, the Government and Energy Regulatory Commission. The cooperation between the USAID and the Government for technical assistance that should be provided by USAID for aligning the national legislation with the 3rd EU Energy Package and Energy Commun…
Gasoline prices will increase by MKD 1-1.5 per litre as of Monday midnight, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has decided. Thus, the new price of EUROSUPER BS-95 is MKD 74.5 per litre and that of EUROSUPER BS-98 is now MKD 76.5. The price of EURODIESEL (D-E V) now stands at MKD 69 and extra light household fuel (EL-1) will be sold for MKD 58. The price of crude oil M1-HC is also increased and now stands at MKD 38.409 per kilogram. The ERC says the new prices come as a result of the increased prices of crude oil at world m…
The foreign Affairs’ ministers of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania and host Greece, at the start of November will hold a new quadrilateral meeting in Thessaloniki. According to the information provided by MIA’s correspondent in Athens, the fourth ministerial meeting during which it is planned a discussion about subjects on regional cooperation in many areas, will be held on the 8th and the 9th of November in Thessaloniki. A first meeting such as this was first organized in April 2016, and the last time the heads of diplomacies have me…
Press release from U.S. Cyber Command: U.S. service members, working alongside cyber defenders from the Republic of Macedonia, have been cooperating over the last few weeks to share best practices in cyber security and to build cyber defense capabilities. U.S. Cyber Command, in cooperation with U.S. European Command, has worked closely with partners from Macedonia in conducting Cyber Defense Security Cooperation to increase interoperability and deter malign influence on the democratic processes of the U.S., our allies and our partne…
Deputy Speaker Goran Misovski, representative of the ruling coalition, called Friday on opposition VMRO-DPMNE MPs at the plenary session on Monday to support the constitutional amendments stemming from the Prespa Agreement and join forces in providing European future to citizens of Macedonia. ‘I don’t wish to believe that VMRO-DPMNE deputies would not vote for the constitutional amendments on Monday,’ Misovski said, pointing out the significance of the move for Macedonia’s integration with the Euro-Atlantic institutions. The motio…
Skopje's Haemus Center for Scholarly Research and Promotion of Culture has launched its Destination Macedonia! campaign, which features educational tours across the country to popularize Macedonia's rich cultural heritage. The first tour, "Skopje's Ottoman heritage," will take place on Oct. 14. "Old Skopje Palaces" comes next on Oct. 21, followed by "In the Footsteps of Ancient Romans" on Oct. 28. According to Haemus, all tours were designed to provide participants with an opportunity …
The number of tourists in period January-August, compared to the same period last year, increased by 15 percent, says the State Statistical Office: The number of domestic tourists increased by 14.5%, while that of foreign tourists increased by 15.3%. In the same period, the number of nights spent increased by 16.1%: the number of nights spent by domestic tourists increased by 14.8%, while those by foreign tourists increased by 18%. The number of tourists in August was 211,746, and the number of nights spent by tourists was 881…
I hope we should find courage, to overcome party and political prejudices and to take care of the country’s future, because this is unrepeatable opportunity. The decision we make bears huge responsibility and importance for the future of the citizens, and I believe that we, above all, will think of our country, the children and the generations to come, PM Zoran Zaev said Thursday, adding that important thing is that the focus remains on the serious responsibility by all political actors, political figures, MPs and above all the Parliament…
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at their Thursday’s meeting in Athens assessed the Prespa Agreement as courageous and brave step. Steinmeier welcomed the agreement between Macedonia and Greece, expressing regret for the outcome of the referendum, while Tsipras said that the Prespa Agreement is a model of understanding and mutual respect for two nations, MIA reports. “I came here to express my respect for the particularly courageous effort you reach an agreement with FY ROM, with the neighbourin…
Under the headline “Referendum Aivar”, the pro-government Serbian daily newspaper “Politika” announced on Tuesday that “instead of humbly admitting that the referendum failed, European, American and NATO officials are claiming victory, with even more intensified political passion.” “The hypocrisy of the Western ruling political elites and the attempt to rewrite the will of the citizens of Macedonia, who did not agree to become northern southerners, revitalized the results of the referendum that was laconically assessed as consultative…
The Assembly is an institution, and MPs are the people’s representatives who will make the decisions and implement the will of the people and I urge them not succumb to any pressure, because we are resolving a decade-long conflict in order to pull the country out of isolation, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev when he addressed the Constitutional Affairs Committee and explained the proposal for constitutional changes. “It is time for us to take Macedonia forward together. MPs have a historic duty to secure the way towards stability, secu…
Macedonia marks Thursday the day of anti-fascist uprising that broke out 77 years ago i.e. National Uprising Day. Observances are taking place across the country that have been organized by the government, Parliament, the Association of WWII Veterans and the Municipalities of Prilep and Kumanovo. To mark the national holiday, the annual state award '11 October' will be handed over at a ceremony in Parliament to this year's recipients that include Professor Dragi Mihajlovski, author Risto Lazarov, actor Petre Arsovski, …
Macedonian contemporary literature, ways for cooperation with foreign partners and promotion of Macedonia as a modern cultural and literary environment will be presented at the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair, held on Oct. 10-14. The Ministry of Culture for the first time this year will act as commissary for national presentation. Activities are designed to make sure Macedonian writers and their works are better promoted internationally, in the long run, according to the Ministry of Culture. Macedonia will have its own stand at the fa…
Macedonian soldiers have fired several warning shots in the air at the country's border with Greece to deter a group of migrants from crossing it illegally. According to local media, one migrant was arrested and turned over to the police, while others returned to the territory of Greece. The Macedonian Army said in a press release that the incident happened when one of its patrols detected a group of migrants illegally crossing the border near the regional road Gevgelija-Moin. According to this, the patrol vocally warned …
Spokesman Mile Bosnjakovski reiterated Wednesday the Government's expectations for a two-thirds majority in Parliament for endorsement of the constitutional changes. The Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Issues is set to begin the debate on the Government's motion over the need for constitutional amendments today, with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev addressing the body. "We believe MPs are faced with a historic decision, which is crucial for the realization of Macedonia's strategic objectives of NATO and E…
Ministry of Economy is to provide MKD 16,5 million (EUR 267,975) for realization of the project for restoration of the shop windows in old bazaars in Skopje, Bitola and Ohrid. “A total of 182 applications were submitted at the announced public call of which 160 met the requirements. Of these, 115 applications were submitted for Skopje old bazaar, 38 from Bitola and 7 from Ohrid bazaar. Unfortunately, there was no application from the Struga Bazaar,” Economy Minister Kresnik Bektesi said Wednesday prior to signing of the agreements wit…
The European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) by 47 votes ‘for’, nine ‘against’ and one ‘restrained’ adopted Tuesday the report of rapporteur Ivo Vajgl on Macedonia, which supports a launch of the country’s EU accession talks in June of 2019. The EP report on the 2018 European Commission Report on Macedonia should now be adopted at the EP plenary session in November. Vajgl presented a vocal amendment to the report, which refers to the referendum outcome and notifies the need of additional support for the country’s Euro-A…
The Prespa Agreement offers a historic opportunity for Macedonia and for strengthening the good-neighborly relations, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says in a letter to Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. ‘On 30 September a vast majority - over 90 percent - of those who took part in the referendum voted ‘FOR’ the agreement with Greece. The agreement offers an opportunity for a historic deal and for strengthening the relations between the two countries. It also eliminates the key obstacle for the country’s accession to the European Union and N…
The police department in Jagodina, Serbia, informed Macedonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that two Macedonian citizens were among those killed in two multi-vehicle crashes on a key highway in Serbia. Seven people were killed and 27 others injured in the accident, which involved 34 cars and trucks and probably happened because of the fog, police said. The collisions took place on both sides of the main north-south highway in central Serbia, 110 kilometers southeast of the capital, Belgrade. Serbian state TV said so…
At yesterday’s 92nd session, the Government made a decision on the constitutional changes, that is, to submit amendments to Parliament for which it will seek support. This is happening at a time when the grounds for amending the Constitution is not certain, because it requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, that is, 80 MPs. “ The Government of the Republic of Macedonia has determined the text in line with the indications presented in the discussion at the Government session and on the basis of Article 130 of the Constitution o…
The Macedonian government in lack of economic awareness, IMF lowered GDP forecast in half: The yearly forecast was pointed at 3.2%, now the IMF says Macedonia will reach only 1.6%. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday it has lowered its projection for Macedonia's 2018 economic growth to 1.6% from 2.8% it predicted in April. Macedonia’s economic growth will accelerate to 2.6% in 2019 and 3.4% in 2023, the IMF said in October 2018 edition of its World Economic Outlook report. The country’s gross domestic pro…
According to the State Statistical Office data, the Consumer Price Index in September 2018, in comparison with the previous month, registered a decrease by 0.1%, while the Retail Price Index was decreased by 0.7%. The Consumer Price Index in September 2018, in comparison with September 2017, was increased by 1.5%, while the Retail Price Index was increased by 2.6%. A decrease in the Consumer Price Index in September 2018, in comparison with the previous month, was registered in fresh or chilled fruit by 2.0%, food products by 0.8%, ed…
Connect with us