Business

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic talked on Wednesday with Wang Hongwei, deputy general manager of the Export-Import Bank of China, who said that Serbia has a special place in China's program for South-East Europe (SEE).

BELGRADE - Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that Serbia will implement urgent, necessary and comprehensive reforms and further improve its business climate.

VIENNA - The European Energy Community (EEC) Secretariat has called on Serbia to rectify the identified issues of non-compliance within a time limit of two months since the country did not meet the obligations stipulated in the community's rules on ownership unbundling in the gas market.

Greece to develop Athens' former airport site

The government will pursue commercial development at the giant former airport site to help offset the effects of the economic crisis.

Olympic and other structures have been built on parts of the former Athens' international airport site. [AFP]

Peaceful protests showing first results in BiH

Protesters are not giving up on their desire for economic change.

Hundreds of Bosnian demonstrators march in Sarajevo during a non-violent protest on February 22nd. [AFP]

By Sotiris Nikas

The Finance Ministry announced on Tuesday that it will be issuing short-term debt to cover the cash needs of the state by drawing on some 3 billion euros of cash reserves found lying unused in the coffers of various state agencies.

By Vangelis Mandravelis

State sell-off fund TAIPED is at risk of receiving just one bid for the development of the former airport at Elliniko on Athens’s southern coast after sources suggested that Israel’s Elbit Cochin abandoned the tender process on Tuesday.

European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn

By Eleni Varvitsioti

The winter forecasts of the European Commission confirmed on Tuesday that the Greek economy is emerging from the shadows of recession with expected growth this year reaching the target of 0.6 percent.

 Deal securing cheaper Russian natural gas for industries and households applies from July 2013 for 10 years

By Chryssa Liaggou

The Environment and Energy Ministry announced on Tuesday that Greece has secured a 15 percent discount on natural gas from Russian energy giant Gazprom for 10 years, adding that the measure will be retroactively applied from July 2013.

Troika officials are due to meet Bank of Greece Governor Giorgos Provopoulos on Wednesday amid a growing split between Athens and its lenders over how much money will be needed to cover the capital needs of local banks.