Eurasia Press & News
Skopje, 18 February – President Danilo Tuerk wrapped up on Wednesday his two-day official visit to Macedonia, where he met the country’s highest officials and took part in a business forum dedicated to economic cooperation between the countries. Later in the day the president departed for an official visit to Albania.
According to the president’s office, Tuesday’s business forum in Skopje was dedicated to boosting economic relations between Slovenia and Macedonia. It was also attended by a strong Slovenian business delegation, Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar and his Macedonian counterpart Branko Crvenkovski.
Tuerk said he was happy that he had been accompanied by the leading people of Slovenia’s main banks and companies dealing with energy, trade, technology and other fields. According to him, this means that Slovenia and Macedonia have strong links and that they are similar countries.
The president touched on the importance of the business forum, which was organized because the countries are facing serious tasks, including the fight with the global economic crisis. It is important to know that we will be better off if we improve our cooperation, said Tuerk.
According to him, Slovenia has already adopted a series of measures to boost cooperation. Tuerk labelled Macedonia as a country which has become famous for its favourable investment climate, pointing to the projects aimed at cutting red tape and attracting foreign investment.
The president also discussed the trust Macedonia enjoys among international financial institutions and business circles and expressed hope that cooperation between the countries will be further boosted for the mutual good, for development of both Macedonia and the Slovenian economy.
After the forum, Tuerk attended a press conference of Slovenian companies, including insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav, Trimo, a maker of prefabricated components for the construction industry, engineering company Riko, telecommunications company Iskratel, as well as representatives of the Slovenian-Macedonian business club.
Riko director Janez Skrabec pointed to the joint project of hydroelectric plant Sveta Petka, while Zavarovalnica Triglav CEO Andrej Kocic said that the insurer was satisfied with the 2007 acquisition of the Biggest Macedonian insurance company, Vardar osiguruvanje.
