Slovenian President supports enhanced cooperation between Slovenia and Macedonia

Skopje, 18.2.2009  |  press release

On the first day of his official visit to Macedonia, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, accompanied by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Branko Crvenkovski, attended a business forum late in the afternoon in Skopje specifically devoted to enhancing economic ties between the two countries. In his welcome address, the Slovenian President expressed his satisfaction with the accompanying delegation, consisting of top managers of a number of important Slovenian commercial organisations, banks and companies operating in the area of energy, trade, technology and other areas. According to Dr Türk, this demonstrates the profound ties between Slovenia and Macedonia, their interconnection and similarity, which can be described in many ways.

As an example he quoted the great Slovenian poet, Oton ®upanèiè, who had explained why the term "èevlji" (shoes) denotes the same thing in both the Slovenian and Macedonian languages. The poet's explanation was that our blisters were the same. If the poet probably knew more about blisters caused by low-quality footwear, then today we know more about blisters caused by work tasks, said President Türk, who went on by referring to the importance of the business forum, the very reason for its organisation being serious tasks to be addressed by both countries. In reflecting on how to combat the economic crisis, it is very important to know that we will all be better off if we improve our mutual cooperation, added the Slovenian President.

He also explained that Slovenia had adopted several measures to facilitate economic cooperation between the two countries. President Türk described Macedonia as a country which had internationally become visible by its favourable investment climate, while mentioning the Invest in Macedonia campaign and the "scissors" by means of which the Macedonian authorities had managed to cut bureaucratic strictures in order to facilitate investment. According to President Türk, Slovenia expects and believes that Macedonia will maintain a favourable business climate in order to ensure good conditions for successful cooperation between partners from both countries. President Türk noted that there is sufficient reason for self-confidence based on a solid and already well-developed partnership, a favourable exchange in goods amounting to EUR 202 million in 2007, and large Slovenian investments in Macedonia, the cumulative value of which was EUR 193 million in 2008. He added that these were solid foundations which, however, need to be developed further.

In his address, President Türk also spoke about an important common value called trust. By implementing its reform measures, which met with the approval of international financial establishments and the business community, Macedonia was establishing trust and continues to enhance it, said the Slovenian President. He expressed the wish that cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop successfully and that the Slovenian investments in Macedonia would be as sustainable as possible and bring about optimum results to the benefit of Macedonia and the Slovenian economy. In this manner and by enhancing mutual trust, we will thus supplement our cooperation with new elements and, besides the Slovenian poet's story about shoes, also with many new common metaphors, expressions and values, concluded the Slovenian President.

Dr Türk – along with the Chairman of the Management Board of the Triglav Insurance Company, Mr Andrej Kociè; the Director of the construction company Trimo, Ms Tatjana Fink; the Director of the engineering company Riko, Mr Janez ©krabec; the Director of the telecommunications company Iskratel, Mr Andrej Polenec; and the President of the Board of the Slovenian-Macedonian Business Club, Mr Damir Kuder – then took part in a press conference at which representatives of the Slovenian economy outlined several examples of the successful business performance of Slovenian companies in Macedonia.

Director Janez ©krabec of Riko pointed to the joint hydroelectric power plant project Sveta Petka, which will be built in cooperation with certain Slovenian and Macedonian companies. The inclusion of a local workforce in the project will prove beneficial to Riko, which counts on new projects in the area of energy and ecology in Macedonia. Mr ©krabec also said that the company was one of few companies included in development aid offered by Slovenia to the countries of South Eastern Europe. The Chairman of the of Management Board of the Triglav Insurance Company, Andrej Kociè, said that the company was pleased with the purchase of the largest Macedonian insurance company Vardar Osiguruvanje. He explained that the company was aware of the potential of the Macedonian market in this segment. Director Tatjana Fink of Trimo outlined the major project that is being carried out in Bitola – the construction of an administrative and industrial tobacco processing complex, which is being financed by foreign investors employing local subcontractors. Ms Fink also highlighted good cooperation with local authorities with regard to obtaining permits and other relevant documents.

Economic cooperation between the two countries is evident in other areas, too. In 2008, the Slovenian company Tu¹ opened three supermarkets in Macedonia; in the next five years, it plans to open another twenty– one of them also in Skopje at the end of this year – and the entertainment centre Planet Tu¹. NLB Tutunska Bank, one of the most successful members of the NLB Group, is a leading bank in the development of small and medium-sized Macedonian enterprises. Other major corporate investments in Macedonia include investments from Sava, Droga Kolinska, Merkur, CMC and planned investments from Mercator, Telekom, Petrol and HSE.

The Slovenian President concluded his official visit to the Republic of Macedonia this afternoon by laying a wreath at the monument of Gotse Delchev in the courtyard of the church of Sveti Spas, together with his wife Barbara Mikliè Türk. Dr Türk then departed from Skopje to pay an official visit to the neighbouring Republic of Albania.