Sofia to impede Skopje’s Euro intentions?

The Bulgarian authorities submitted on 5 May a protest note in relation to the incident with the Ambassador to Skopje, Ivan Petkov.

On Friday, the Bulgarian Ambassador and his delegation were attacked and not admitted to the grave of the revolutionary Gotse Delchev, in order to bring flowers and commemorate the 109 anniversary of his death, a long-standing tradition of the Bulgarian representatives in Skopje.

The president of the country, Rosen Plevneliev, identified the incident as ‘inadmissible’. In addition, he also said that Bulgaria welcomed and would support the European aspirations of every state and that Bulgaria ‘will work for Macedonia's accession to the European Union’.

However, in turn, the former Yugoslav republic and its people had to show that they also support. Furthermore, the president stated that ‘if any country wants to be a member of this family, it must show by deeds not just words that it likes the other countries’.

The minister of foreign affairs of Bulgaria, Nikolay Mladenov, also named the act ‘inadmissible’ and added that it was ‘in conflict with the European principles and norms of respect for the memory of individuals who contributed to the freedom and dignity of a nation’. Mladenov also expressed hope that this incident would remain an isolated case because ‘ the ensuring of smooth celebration of historical dates and events is a sign of acceptance of European values ​​and the desire to develop good neighbourly relations in the region - the main condition for the adoption of EU countries’.

The Bulgarian prime minister, Boyko Borisov, said that Skopje ‘probably does not realize how much support they need from Bulgaria for their European membership’ and that ‘to hinder the country in its European aspirations would be a historical mistake’ because of the close cultural and historical ties between the two countries and their people.

It seems, however, that besides the Bulgarian authorities’ intention to leave behind the incident as soon as possible for the common brighter future of the both nations, the issue will not remain without a reaction on European level, either. The Bulgarian MEP, Andrey Kovatchev, issued a statement in which he expressed his deep disappointment of the action. The Head of Bulgarian EPP Delegation mention that what happened ‘did not correspond to the European spirit’. Moreover, Kovatchev also said that it was time for Skopje to put an end to the incitement to hatred against Bulgaria which was an unacceptable and retrograde practice from the time of Tito, Stalin and Georgi Dimitrov and which continued to hold hostage the European future of the country.

The Bulgarian MEP planned to deliver a speech during this week’s EP Plenary in order to inform the MEPs about the case.

Quintuple murder suspect says “plan was to attack police”

According to court sources, the suspect said this in front of several people but it is unknown whether he repeated it to investigative judges.

Makfax news agency has reported that all court appointed defense lawyers, including some of the most prominent Macedonian attorneys, refused to represent the suspects for the murder of five young Macedonians and a 45-year-old man on April 11 near Skopje.

The news agency has learnt that the arrested persons who decided to give their statements to the investigative judges said that they were only a part of the criminal group because they were poor and needed the money.

Skopje-based daily Utrinski vesnik writes that the investigation now focuses on how long the group was preparing the murders, whether it planned new attacks and who helped the perpetrators financially and logistically.

20 radical Islamists were arrested in the Operation Monster on May 1. Five of them have been charged with terrorism.

Bulgarian ambassador to Skopje prevented from laying flowers in memory of Gotse Delchev

Hooligans have prevented the Bulgarian ambassador to Macedonia to lay flowers on the 109th death anniversary of Gotse Delchev in Saint Spas church in Skopje.

The Bulgarian delegation which is headed by Sofia’s newly appointed ambassador in Skopje Ivan Petkov and local Bulgarians tried to lay flowers at the sarcophagus that holds the bones of the apostle of the struggles of Bulgarians in Macedonia and Edirne region, Gotse Delchev.

Outside Saint Spas church the Bulgarian group was assaulted by an organized group of hooligans.
Bulgarian Dragan Popov, who was an eyewitness, said that the group of Bulgarians was barred from laying flowers at the grave and the Bulgarian ambassador did not lay any. According to him the Macedonians were from the antique wing of VMRO-DPMNE.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev described the case in Skopje as intolerable.

The Macedonian ambassador in Sofia will be summoned to explain the case in Skopje when the Bulgarian ambassador was not allowed to lay wreaths and flowers at the monument of Gotse Delchev on his death anniversary, President Rosen Plevneliev said in the southwestern Bulgarian town of Gotse Delchev.

Macedonian police file charges in fishermen deaths

Macedonian authorities have filed terrorism charges against five men in connection with the shooting deaths of five Macedonian fishermen in mid-April, Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska said.

Two of those charged were still at large, while the other three were among 20 people identified as radical Islamists who were arrested in connection with the case Tuesday.

The killings of the fishermen near the Macedonian capital Skopje last month fueled tension in the Balkan country between majority Macedonians and the mostly Muslim ethnic Albanian minority.

State Prosecutor Ljupco Svrgovski told media Wednesday that if found guilty of terrorism, the suspects faced life imprisonment sentences.

The remaining 17 of those arrested during an early-morning raid on Tuesday were being interviewed by an investigative judge. They are being investigated on suspicion of terrorism, helping commit the murders and illegal possession and trade of weapons.

Jankuloska did not specify whether the suspects all belonged to the same ethnic group. She previously said most of them were Macedonian citizens.

About 800 police were involved in Tuesday's operation, called "Monster," raiding 26 houses around Skopje and seizing weapons, bulletproof vests and Islamic literature, police said.

Jankuloska said the 20 suspects arrested Tuesday were followers "of radical Islam, which is a danger not only for Christianity, but also for Muslims and others."

The ethnic Albanian coalition partner in the conservative government, the Democratic Union for Integration, or DUI, described the killing of the fishermen as "the biggest crime in the history of Macedonia."

DUI spokesman Bujar Osmani said his party "remains on the position that the killers are simply killers by name and surname, regardless of their ethnicity and nationality".

Tensions between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians have simmered since the end of an armed rebellion in 2001, when ethnic Albanian rebels fought Macedonian government forces for about eight months, seeking greater rights for their community. The conflict left 80 people dead and ended with the intervention of NATO troops.

Ethnic Albanians make up about a quarter of Macedonia's population of 2.1 million. Most Macedonians are Christian Orthodox.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/05/02/macedonian-police-file-charges-in-fishermen-deaths/#ixzz1tlbh2Ajg

Skopje Faculty of Pharmacy gets two new labs

Premier Nikola Gruevski, accompanied by Ministers of Education, Science and Health Care, Pance Kralev and Nikola Todorov respectively, formally set into work Sunday two new labs at Skopje Faculty of Pharmacy.

The two labs, worth EUR1,7 million, will test the quality of drugs and make biomolecular pharmaceutical analysis.

"The Government has been investing in all spheres - economy, agriculture, education, health care, tourism...Even in this difficult period of debt crisis in Europe, we are making attempts to keep investing in spheres we believe are in urgent need," Gruevski said at the opening ceremony.

Anti-Greek protests in Skopje

About 50 members of Macedonian non-governmental organizations protested in front of the Greek embassy in Skopje.


The protest was organized in response to a parade held recently in Athens at which Greek soldiers were chanting anti-Macedonian and ant-Albanian slogans.


One of the chants said that they “would make clothes out of the skin of Macedonians and Albanians."


The protest in Skopje, entitled “Stop Greek Fascism,” was secured by a large number of police officers and ended without incident.


The protesters said that Macedonia would never abandon its constitutional name.


The NGO members carried maps of Great Macedonia, stretching to the Aegean Sea, sang patriotic songs, and gave embassy officials a letter of protest and a demand for an apology from Greece.


The Macedonian Foreign Ministry also delivered a letter of protest to the Greek ambassador in Macedonia, who called the soldiers’ chanting an “isolated incident.”

Alexander the Great to Sing in the Centre of Macedonia’s Capital

The planned monument of Alexander the Great in the centre of Skopje will be accompanied by music, as well as light, sound and water effects, mayor of the Skopje municipality Centar, Vladimir Todorovic, announced recently.

The monument of Alexander the Great – the thorny figure in the side of Greek-Macedonian relations, will be created and installed in the centre of Skopje by the end of next year as part of the grandiose Skopje 2014 project, which envisions the construction and renovation of dozens of monuments and buildings in the capital’s downtown area, with the aim of enhancing its appeal and administrative functionality.

The Alexander the Great statue, together with the statues of eight lions, costs 4.5 million euro and the fountain – 3 million euro, Todorovic explained, cited by the Utrinski Vesnik newspaper. The publication commented that if the salaries of the commission members who selected the monument’s maker and her fees are included, its cost would reach 10 million euro.

This, according to the publication, automatically disproves previous reports that 10 million euro will be used for the construction not only of the Alexander the Great monument, but those of four lions, the horse-riding statues of nineteenth-century revolutionary figures Gotse Delchev and Dame Gruev and three more statues.

“Whether the monument is too expensive is a relative thing. I can only assure you that it will be very beautiful, which you will see at the end of next year when we expect it to be completed,” Todorovic said, cited by the publication.

“According to our recent information, more than half of it has already been moulded. The fountain, on the other hand, will be produced for nine months. There are already preparations on the ground for the construction activities. The fountain will have a beautiful marble massive staircase and a mini promenade around the pillar of the monument,” Todorovic added.


Although Skopje Mayor Koce Trajanovski claimed the Skopje 2014 project will cost 80 million euro – which will come from several annual state budgets, the municipal budgets of Skopje and Centar and private investors, the initiative has sparked debate between the government and the opposition Social Democrats, who find the project excessive and claim it will cost 200 million euro. Even though it is well received by most of the public, several NGOs allied with the opposition have attempted public protests, arguing the funds would be better spent on fighting poverty.

Bombastic Skopje project attracts scorn

A bombastic government project to revamp Skopje, Macedonia's bland capital, has caused both ridicule and scorn among citizens of the small Balkan country.

A giant triumphal arch, a newly built multi-dome orthodox church, dozens of statues, and the reconstruction of buildings that had been destroyed by the 1963 earthquake will completely alter the look of Skopje's central square.

The project, known as Skopje 2014, is highly controversial. Plans for a huge statue of Alexander the Great are likely to deepen the dispute with Macedonia's southern neighbour Greece about names and history. Athens opposes Skopje's wish to call the country "Republic of Macedonia" and to portray it as the legitimate heir of Alexander's short-lived giant empire.

Macedonia's Albanian minority is upset as well. The plan does not include any monument dedicated to that ethnic group's history, despite the fact that they represent 25 percent of the population.

Idjet Memeti from DUI, the Albanian junior partner in the governing coalition, has described the project as "a political pamphlet that will deepen the ethnic rift between the two main communities."

Macedonian opposition parties call the concept ugly and say there should be a referendum on it. Meanwhile, the cost of "Skopje 2014" remains unclear. Leaked estimates point to a total amount of around €200 million. The mayor of Skopje claims the project will cost no more than €80 million. Macedonians earn an average €300 a month.

Nikola Naumoski, head of the "Freedom Square" NGO, believes the government is holding back confidential data indicating that total expenditure on the project will be much higher than current estimates. His organisation has already staged massive protests and promises to turn them into a steady campaign.

TAV started with takeover of airports

Turkish company TAV began the takeover process of Macedonian airports. Representatives of TAV will start offering work contracts to 790 employees of Skopje and Ohrid airports. However, they still do not want to disclose what they are really offering in these contracts.

The new concessionaire is obliged only not to lay off workers for at least next seven years or decrease salaries to any of the employees.

This administrative procedure is expected to be completed by the end of February, when the official takeover of the airports in Skopje and Ohrid has been announced. The renovation and modernization of airport premises and runways modelled after European ones will start at the same time.

Explosion rips through Old Bazaar

Three stores and one apartment were damaged in late Sunday's bomb blast near Skopje's Old Bazaar, but no injuries have been reported.

Skopje Police Department said the explosive device went off around 22:30 hrs, smashing the windows of three stores situated in a building at Vojdan Cernodrinski Street. The building is owned by a 50-year Jonus B. The blast left the apartment entrance door damaged.

The police are sill searching for perpetrators

Macedonia to buy 84 buses from Lviv’s LAZ

Skopje, capital of the Balkan country of Macedonia, has inked a 10 million euro contact to purchase 84 buses from LAZ, the Ukrainian bus factory based in Lviv, western Ukraine.

LAZ officials are dubbing the contract as a major success for their factory. In Soviet days, LAZ was one of Europe’s largest bus factories. But the factory has struggled to land orders since Ukraine declared independence. LAZ won the contract via a tender, results of which were revealed on Jan. 31 during a visit to Lviv by top officials from Macedonia. During the visit, Mile Janasievski (above), Macedonia’s transportation minister, test drove a LAZ bus. Plans envision that the buses will be delivered to Macedonia this and next year. Macedonian officials are also mulling the purchase of trolley buses produced by LAZ. Officials at LAZ, itself owned by Russian businessman Ihor Churkin, praised the Macedonian contract, and predicted that it will help preserve 100,000 jobs at the plant. “This offers a real chance for the Ukrainian engineering sector to come out of the economic recession,” LAZ said in a statement.

Memorial House of Mother Teresa in Skopje

The Memorial House dedicated to Mother Teresa, the great humanist and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, will be promoted and consecrated in the Skopje centre on Friday.

The consecration of the Memorial Home, which has been erected in the very location of the once Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, will be serviced by the Bishop of Skopje and Apostolic Exarch in Macedonia, Monsignor Kiro Stojanov.

The construction of the Memorial Home is a project of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia carried out by the Ministry of Culture. The activity is a part of the events intended to mark jubilee 100 years since Mother Teresa’s birth. With her commitment to help people irrespective of their national and religious affiliation, she left an eternal mark in the history of mankind as the symbol of benefaction and humaneness.

PM Nikola Gruevski, Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska, and Bishop of Skopje and Apostolic Exarch in Macedonia Monsignor Kiro Stojanov will give addresses. The attendees will be also addressed by Mother Teresa’s spiritual father, Dr. Leo Maasburg who is arriving from Vienna especially for the event.

Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to an Albanian family in 1910 in Skopje. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in India, where she ministered over 40 years. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work and, following her death in 1997, was beatified – a step before being canonised as a saint, and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Police set to remove beggars from Skopje streets

Police started an organized action for curbing down the begging on the streets of Skopje, Makfax informed.
Ministry of Interior announced today that the action codenamed "Begging" will be carried out in continuity, . The operation was prepared and will be realized in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare through the Public Facility Inter-Municipal Center for Social Affairs - Skopje.
According to the plan of the action, underage delinquency inspectors along with inspectors for property-related crime will patrol with an unmarked vehicle at crossroads, buildings, shopping malls, bridges, i.e. locations where this phenomenon is most commonly present.
As many as 23 spots in the city were encompassed in the course of Wednesday, the first day of the action, majority of which were under jurisdiction of the police precinct "Centre". In addition, the action was carried out on a number of locations on the territories of police precincts Bit Pazar, Aerodrom, Karpos and Gjorce Petrov.
The Police detained 11 adults and 13 minors, whose parents will receive warnings and reports in line with the Law on Public Order and Peace, and adequate measures for taking care of children-beggars will be taken in cooperation with the Inter-Municipal Center for Social Affairs.

Second Skopje bypass highway to be put into operation

The second Skopje bypass highway from Orizari to Saraj section at length of 11,8 kilometres will be put into operation Thursday.
PM Nikola Gruevski will attend the opening ceremony, his Cabinet told.
Entire length of the highway is 26,5 km with two lines, which passes under south slopes of Skopska Crna Gora and villages of Stajkovci, Smilkovcki, Brnjanci and Kuceviska Bara.
The complete bypass starts at the "Hipodrom" loop where it branches off from the Veles-Skopje highway, and its northern section ends near Orizari.
This western half starts North of Suto Orizari. Leading westwards, the route passes the Konjski Rid hill lying to the South and continues West crossing the Stenkovec loop (junction to Pristina), followed by the Lepenec River. Here, the road bends slightly northwards, running through the agricultural region of Gornopal, where it eventually curves to the South, passing the residential area of Vucidol. The route continues southwards winding through a hilly landscape. At Kondovo, it connects to the Skopje-Tetovo Highway.
The designed bypass will be a four-lane highway with a maximum vehicle speed of 120 km/h. The Skopje Bypass is part of Corridor VIII.
The Fund for National and Regional Roads of Macedonia (FNRR) is the investor of this project and is financed by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which granted a loan to Macedonia with 7-year grace period and 18 years repayment period. The value of the entire bypass is Euro 135 million.

Greece angered by offensive billboards in Skopje

Athens has condemned billboards in Skopje that show the Greek flag with a Nazi swastika in place of the white cross. Officials warned Monday (March 31st) that Macedonia's aspirations to join NATO could be harmed.

A private organisation reportedly put up the posters, as part of a promotional campaign for a photography and graphic arts exhibition. The Greek ambassador to Skopje, Alexandra Papadopoulou, has lodged a demarche with the Macedonian government, demanding their immediate removal.

Greek foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said on Monday the billboards offended his country's national symbol and its "fight against fascism and Nazism" during World War II.

Describing the content of the posters as an abuse of the freedom of expression, Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki distanced the government from the billboards. He expressed his deep regret to Papadopoulou over the "particularly unfortunate incident taking place at a particularly crucial moment".

Macedonia has been hoping to receive an invitation to join NATO during the Alliance's summit in Bucharest that opens on Wednesday. The heads of state and government of the 26 member nations are expected to consider Albania, Croatia and Macedonia's membership bids during a formal debate on the military pact's further expansion Thursday. Admitting new members requires unanimous approval.

While voicing support for Albania and Croatia's bids, Greece has threatened to veto any decision to bring Macedonia into the Alliance unless a solution to the name dispute between the two countries is reached by the start of the summit.

Greece argues that its neighbour's use of the name "Macedonia" implies territorial claims on a northern Greek province, also called Macedonia. It wants the government in Skopje to agree to a modified name that would clearly distinguish the two.

UN special envoy Matthew Nimetz, who has been mediating the name talks between the two countries, has proposed a number of possible solutions in recent months. Each has been rejected by one or the other side.

Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis reiterated her country's determination to block Macedonia's NATO accession until the dispute is resolved.

"No mutually acceptable solution means no NATO invitation," she said on Monday. She reiterated, however, Greece's support for Albania and Croatia's bids.

Meanwhile, the Brussels-based journal Le Vif/L'Express reported on Monday that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has proposed the name "New Macedonia" as a compromise solution. The idea is one of several put forward that would retain the word "Macedonia" in combination with one or more additional terms.

Statue of "Turkish enemy" placed in Macedonian capital elicits protests

Turkish and Muslim community members in the Macedonian capital Skopje are protesting the "inappropriate" placement of a large statue in honor of Macedonian leader Gjergi Kastrioti, who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, trying to block domination of Balkan lands by Turkey.

The statue, whose creation and placement has been funded in part by the Macedonian Ministry of Culture, was placed by Skopje authorities near the entrance to the capital city's historical Turkish Bazaar. Members of the Merhamet Foundation and the local El-Hilal Foundation, most of whom are ethnically Albanian, have said "There are many heroes in Albanian history other than Kastrioti. The placing of this statue commemorating this man who abandoned Islam and who rebelled against the government makes us as uncomfortable as it does our sibling Turkish members of the community. We see the particular placement of this statue, in front of the Turkish market, as an attempt at mischief-making in our community."

Policeman shot dead amid banal quarrel

A member of police task force was gunned down and a member of rapid deployment unit was injured in armed incident this morning, police sources told Makfax news agency.

The cause of the incident, which happened Monday morning at Despina restaurant in Skopje's district Michurin, was a banal quarrel among a few guests at the restaurant.

Vladimir Damcevski (26), a member of police task force "Tigers", was shot dead by S. M. (24), a member of rapid deployment unit. He was detained by police and has already admitted to killing Damcevski. The suspect confirmed that he had fired Damcevski's gun after the latter dropped it accidentally.

The suspect's brother E. M. (35), also member of rapid deployment unit, was injured. His condition is stable.

Macedonia's Defense Minister says he is not afraid of Commander Hoxha’s threats

Skopje. Macedonia’s Defense Minister Lazar Elenovski does not take the threats of Xhezair Shaqiri, also known as Commander Hoxha, seriously. Commander Hoxha threats that the village of Tanusevci (near Skopje) will part from Macedonia and will join Kosovo, the Macedonian Vecer daily reads.
Acccording to Elenovski Macedonia is in full control of its territory and the situation si stable. He added that there is no information about any destabilization. According to the Minister the risk of military conflicts in the region is too low now. He says that the forces that could cause some conflict are too small and marginalized and that all the states in the region are firmly looking in the direction of Euro-Atlantic integration.

Macedonian government building targeted in 'terrorist' act

Skopje - The Macedonia government headquarters in Skopje was the target of terrorist attack early Monday morning, cabinet spokesman Ivica Bocekski said. Bocevski said two rifle-fired grenades were shot at the building in central Skopje early Monday morning, local media reported.

"The government was a target of a terrorist attack," Bocevski said.

No one was injured in the attack and it was not immediately clear whether the missiles had hit the building.

In 2001, Macedonia was on the verge of war between government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels. Several bombs exploded in Skopje amid the conflict, but no injuries were ever inflicted.

The conflict was defused by a peace and reform deal which gave the Albanian minority more rights.

Skopje commemorates 44th anniversary of devastating earthquake

Skopje commemorates the 44th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that killed 1.070 people and injured around 3.300.

The quake, measuring 6.1 degrees on the Richter scale, lasted 17 seconds. A number of buildings, public facilities and almost 80 percent of homes of the city's residents had been destroyed.

The earthquake heavily damaged the railway station, the Officers Club, the Post Building, National Bank building, Makedonija Hotel, the three theatres, the National Library building, the National Museum of History and many other insignia of the capital.

Shortly after the devastating earthquake, Skopje turned into a city of worldwide solidarity. Aid comprising rescue teams, medicines, tents, blankets, clothes and other basics had arrived from all around the world. Thanks to foreign aid, the city started to function within a short period. A number of districts and facilities had been rebuilt, giving the city a new image.

The families of the victims and the city authorities will place wreaths at the monument of those killed in the earthquake at Butel cemetery.