Macedonia - Media Review – December 16

UTRINSKI VESNIK

- Societe Generale Group, owner of Macedonia's Ohridska Banka, announced further expansion in Macedonia, as the head of the French group’s International Retail Banking Division, Jean-Louis Mattei, met Macedonian top government officials on Tuesday.

VECER

- Bulgaria has officially abolished the visa requirements for citizens of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, following the European Union’s decision to allow them visa free travel for the Western Balkan as of December 19, Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

- Macedonian construction companies have set up a Construction Chamber with the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce on Tuesday aimed at reducing the unfair competition in the sector, the president of the new chamber, Sead Kocan said. The construction sector is stable and companies expect an increase in activity as of April, Tome Kostadinovski, manager of Konstruktor Inzenering said.

- Businessmen from Macedonia and Albania, who met on Tuesday in Skopje, urged for removing of custom duties for agricultural products between both countries in order to increase economic cooperation.

A1

- Macedonian steel mill Makstil will dismiss 180 employees as of January 1, as a result of the global economic crisis, sources familiar to Makstil told the Skopje-based broadcaster.