Republics

Turkey's outstanding short-term foreign private-sector debt narrowed in November 2019, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) said on Jan. 16.

The private sector's short-term external loans, excluding trade credits, totaled $10.2 billion, down $5.2 billion in November 2019, compared to the end of the previous year.

Demographer Danica Santic tells RTS that fewer than seven million people live in Serbia currently.
Santic states that for two years there has been a slight upward trend in the number of newborns - in 2016 and 2017 around 160, and a slightly higher number is expected for 2018.

Turkish tourists were the highest spending foreign tourists in the Greek border regions of East Macedonia and Thrace in the first three quarters of 2019, according to the Bank of Greece data.

From the start of the year until October 2019, around 700,000 Turkish tourists visited the region and spent €136.8 million ($151 million), which makes €195 per capita.

Greek holdings in Albania have shrunk rapidly, bringing to an end decades of dominance amid financial crisis, homegrown Albanian ambition and a difficult investment climate.

In the period January - November 2019 the exports of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 4.5% in comparison with the same period of the previous year and added up to 17 549.7 Million BGN.

The Government Decision Draft for the approval of the public service contracts for the 1 January, 2020 - 31 December, 2023 period in public passenger transport services by rail is a disaster for all six companies with Romanian capital, including CFR Passengers, which will be "shattered", says Iulian Manescu, president of the Federation of Locomotive Drivers (FML).

On January 13, the Bulgarian film community celebrates its professional holiday. On this day in 1915, the first Bulgarian feature film "Balgaran is Gallant" was screened, so it is celebrated as a Day of Bulgarian Cinema.

The date has been approved since 2005, at the initiative of the National Film Center, for a professional holiday of the Bulgarian film community.

The Bulgaria-US strategic dialogue is crucial for the development of the relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has met with US Ambassador Herro Mustafa, the government press office reported.

The workforce in China, considered the largest labor market in the world, is likely to decline. It is projected that by 2035 it will drop to 800 million, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Officials said that the local labor market still faces major challenges. The shrinking workforce that began in 2012 is likely to be even more tangible this year.

While few tourists from neighboring countries opted to visit northern Greece over Christmas - as evidenced by the low occupancy rates at hotels in Thessaloniki - it was hard to find a room in the center of the northern port city over New Year.