Macedonia Square to be redesigned

New look Macedonia Square

Skopje's Macedonia Square will be getting another makeover. This time the focus of the project will be the surface.

The cobble stone will make a return to the Square as it once previously be fore the latest granite flat-surface remake in 2003-2004.

In addition to the return of the cobble stone, the square is set to get a new fountain. The fountain will be 15m x 15m, contain 128 water cannons and be situated between the Alexander the Great statue and the Old Stone Bridge.

The current granite slabs will be reused for the Sv. Bogorodica Square which is currently in its final stage of construction.

The redesign of Macedonia Square will also include new classical lamp posts and rubbish containers.

The project will be financed two-thirds bu the Government and one-third from the City of Skopje.

Wizz Air expands operations in Macedonia

Airport traffic increases

Budget airline company "Wizz Air" has announced its further expansion into its Macedonian base at the Alexander the Great Airport in Skopje.

The airline plans to introduce three new airlines to Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris for just 1500 Denars. The plans are scheduled to begin in April of next year.

To cater for these new lines, Wizz Air has announced the inclusion of another Airbus A-320 to its fleet based in Macedonia. Wizz Air is currently being subsidised by the Government for its base in Macedonia as part of an effort to boost traffic and the international connectivity of the airport.

The strategy has so far worked with Wizz Air's first year of operating a base in Macedonia being successful and now with the announcement of new lines and planes.

The low cost carrier also released plans to increase the frequency of current lines.

With these annoucnements, Wizz Air increases its total investments into its Macedonian base to a total of 160 million Euro, increased its total seating capacity to 685,000 seats and increased the number of lines to 13.

Air traffic continues to grow in Macedonia since the take over by the country's airports by Turkish TAV. So far in the first 7 months of this year, the number of passengers has grown by 18.2%, the fastest rate in the region.

Wizz Air accounts for 35.2% of passengers, Turkish Airlines 13.1%, Austria Airlines 10.6%, Adria 5.6% and Pegasus 5%.


Total passengers for 2013 is expected to hit 1 million for the first time in well over a decade.

Industrial zone Zhabeni booming in Bitola

Bitola industrial zone booms

The industrial development zone "Zhabeni" in the town of Bitola is growing rapidly by the day.

Since the arrival of German automotive giant "Kromberg and Schubert", the zone has seen a rapid increase in activity.

The Kromberg and Schubert plant currently employs 750 people, most of whom are from Bitola. The plant intends to increase that figure to 1000 employees by the end of the year, and another 1000 employees to be added in 2014 following with another 500 in 2015, a total capacity of 2500 employees.

The plant will employ 2.5% of the 100,000 strong population of Bitola, which is bound to have a large economic impact on the town.

Kromberg and Schubert were the first to move in to the Zhabeni industrial zone, which is south-east of Bitola near the villages of Zhabeni, Bisatrica and Opticari, on the way to the Greek border.

A number of construction permits have also been recently approved for plants in the zone. Besides Kromberg and Schubert, the zones primary industries currently are the food processing and plastics industries.

The zone will also be connected to the Bitola-Greece rail link in the next few years, boosting its capacity.

Skopje clinical center to begin construction

Skopje will get a brand new state-of-the-art clinical center worth 70 million Euro.

The new clinical center will begin construction next year and be completed within 3 years, said Macedonian Health Minister Nikola Todorov.

Italian AREN SRL has completed the initial design of the clinical center including the capacity, functions and communications with neighbouring buildings.

The center will come equipped with 30 lifts, 2 escalators and 10 service lifts. Two car parks will also be built with a total capacity of 1200 vehicles.

The clinical centre will be divided into two connected builsings, the main building and laboratories which is to be financed by the Bank of Council of Europe.

The project is part of the Governments overall plan on revamping the Macedonian health system. The renovation and upgrade of neighbouring facilities is also envisioned alongside the construction of the center.

Euromax announces updated resource estimate for Macedonian gold and copper mine

Euromax updates resource estimate

Canadian Euromax has released an update of its resource estimate for their flgaship Ilovitza copper/gold mine in Macedonia.

Mineral resources now total 184 million tonnes with average grades of 0.33 g/t gold and 0.21% copper up from the previous estimate of 22 million tonnes.

“We are delighted that we have achieved the main aims of our 2012-2013 drilling campaign in increasing the Measured and Indicated Resources in the fresh and mixed zones at Ilovitza from 22Mt to 184Mt at improved grades compared to the previous resource estimate announced last year,” said Euromax Chief Operating Officer Pat Forward in their press release.

Now that the resource estimate has been updated, the company will focus on its pre-feasibility study which is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

Euromax plans to invest 500 million dollars in constructing the mine with construction to start in 2015 and production to being nearing the end of 2017.

Macedonian Interior Ministry denies existence of terrorist camps

No terrorist camps says MVR

The Macedonian Interior Ministry has denied reports of terrorist training camps on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia.

The press release came today after Russian radio station "The Voice of Russia" came our with a report claiming that terrorist training camps existed in Macedonia. According to The Voice of Russia, camps exist in Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo with the goal to unite all three countries along with Bosnia under one Islamic state in the Balkans.

The reports come just days after an Albanian from Macedonia died fighting in the war in Syria against Assad's forces. The citizen from Skopje was the second Albanian to die fighting in Syria after a citizen from Gostivar just a few weeks ago.

Media had speculated that the two had links to foreign terrorist groups.

Biggest church in the Balkans to be built in Bitola

Bitola home to biggest Balkan church

Bitola is to be home of the largest church in Balkans as construction plans were released earlier this week by the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

The church is to be named after all Macedonian saints (Soboren Hram Na Site Makedonski Svetiteli).

The initial construction of the project began in the 90's but the building process has been slow to date with only a quarter of the church having been constructed due to a lack of funds.

Recently, the plans have been revised and the church will now become the largest in the Balkans as announced this week.

The church will be 12 stories or 80 meters tall  and 50 meters wide with grand views of Pelagonia. A tower will also be constructed beside the church that will house a restaurant and viewing platform.

The architect now in charge will be Janko Konstantinov who is also the head architect at the Uspenie Na Presveta Bogorodica church in Strumica, which will now become the 3rd largest church in the Balkans once these two are constructed. Konstantinov will take over from Jorgo Shundovski.

The project will house three restaurants and on every floor will include, cafes, offices and galleries.

The aim of the project is to restore the symbolism of the town that was once called "Monastir" with over 60 churches and monasteries.

Macedonia celebrates Ilinden

Macedonia celebrates Ilinden

Macedonians all over the world today are celebrating the nations biggest national holiday, Ilinden.

Celebrations are taking place all over the country with the main gathering taking place in the Uprisings last stand on Mechkin Kamen, Krushevo.

This years traditional march of the horses is being lead by Macedonian war hero Johan Tarchulovski.

Other gatherings in Macedonia will take place in Pelince, on the Serbian border half a kilometer from the historic St Prohor Pcinjski Monastery, where the Macedonian national liberation movement held its first assembly in 1944. Events will also be taking place at Trnovo-Magarevo in Bitola, where a large number of Macedonian refugees from Aegean Macedonia gather as well as in Ohrid where the Green Beach Festival will be taking place.

Ilinden is also celebrated in the diaspora with dance groups, soccer clubs and churches organizing functions around the globe. The two major gatherings in Melbourne were organized at the Shrine of Remembrance and the Macedonian Orthodox Church in Epping.

Ilinden will forever be remembered for the day the Macedonian people rose up against the Ottomans to establish a free and independent Macedonian republic, setting the foundations of our state. The struggle was lead by the dukes and freedom fighters (Vojvodi and Komiti) of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (VMRO). Today does not only celebrate the 110 year anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising, it also celebrates the 69th anniversary of the first assembly of the Macedonian national liberation movement, ASNOM, lead by the great Macedonian patriot Metodija Andonov Chento.

It is because of these two history-defining events on Saint Elijah's Day that August the 2nd will forever be celebrated amongst the Macedonian people.

Tallest high rise in the Balkans tops out in Macedonia

Courtesy of Build.mk

The Cevahir high rise complex in the Skopje municipality of Aerodrom has topped out. The construction of the top and final floor of one of the towers has reached completion with other other tower to follow in the next few days.

The 42 story buildings will be the tallest in the Balkans of their kind with a total height of 136m without the antenna.

The construction of the towers began in 2011 with the construction of the towers being completed much sooner than expected.

The Cevahir complex includes another two equally tall towers which will begin construction immediately after the first two and an entertainment/shopping complex connecting the four towers. The towers will be used for residential purposes.

The investment of Turkish Cevahir is estimated at more than 500m Euro and is set to be completed in 2016 at the latest.

Apartments for the first two towers go on sale as of early August and the settlement of the first two towers is expected to happen in around one year.

Cevahir complex in Skopje

Mavrovo church latest victim in spate of thefts

Church in Mavrovo robbed

Sveti Nikola is the latest victim in a string of church burglaries across western Macedonia.

Earlier this week Sveti Nikola in the village of Belichica was broken into by robbers who stole the church's icons and donations. 17 icons and 400 denars were stolen in the break in.

This is the latest of dozens of similar incidents over the past two years where churches across western Macedonia have been broken into and their property stolen.

The break-ins have been centered around the town of Struga, Debar and Kicevo. On many previous occasions the criminals have found to originate from Albania, coming across the border overnight.

Some churches have taken action and installed metal bars over windows in an attempt to stop the attacks.