Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia’s Finance Ministry has urged utility companies to hurry up and apply to join a government-backed scheme to write of the debts of the poorest customers.
In return for canceling the debts, the government is offering the companies annual tax breaks.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski added to the call to companies to take part in the scheme at the weekend.

Nationalist parties VMRO and National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB) have formed a coalition titled “Patriotic Front” for the early elections in October.

The coalition agreement was signed by the leaders of the two political formations, Krasimir Karakachanov (VMRO) and Valeri Simeonov (NFSB).

The president of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Gjorge Ivanov, welcomed on Friday the greater interest shown by European countries in his country’s name dispute with Greece.

UN envoy says his mandate concerns only name dispute

SKOPJE -- UN secretary-general's envoy Matthew Nimetz has said that he has no mandate to negotiate about "the identity of the Macedonian people."

A day after visiting the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) where he called for a swift solution to the lingering name dispute with Greece, United Nations’ special mediator Matthew Nimetz arrives in Athens on Wednesday for talks at 1p.m. with Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Serbians still in critical condition after deadly crash

SKOPJE -- Two Serbian citizens are in the hospital in Macedonia in a critical condition after a traffic accident late on Monday that killed an 8-month-old baby.

There is a drop in the number of foreigners who were granted Bulgarian citizenship, said former deputy justice minister Ilia Angelov, quoted by Sega daily. 

“Bulgarian citizenship is not for sale,” he said. According to him, often people who get Bulgarian citizenship only use it to gain access to other EU countries and then renounce it. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos is expected to meet with Matthew Nimetz, the United Nations mediator in a dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in Athens on Wednesday, the Greek Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

On arrival in Skopje on Monday, UN mediator Matthew Nimetz said he was bringing no new proposal on his two-day visit, but rather old ideas that were worth considering further.

“I don’t have a new proposal but I have some things in my head," Nimetz told reporters.

United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz arrived in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on Monday and confirmed that he does not have any concrete proposals to make regarding the name dispute with Greece.

“I have not brought a new proposal but I do have some ideas,” Nimetz said as he arrived in Skopje, according to the Athens-Macedonia News Agency.