32nd Skopje Jazz Festival kicks off

The 32nd Skopje Jazz Festival kicks off on Thursday evening with performances by the British-Slovenian duo Evan Parker and Zlatko Kaucic and the UK band 'Get The Blessing".

The festival, which runs till Oct. 21, offers current and renowned acts from the global jazz scene, its director Oliver Belopeta told a press conference on Tuesday.

The opening day is dedicated to British jazz as a way to mark 20 years of friendship between Macedonia and the UK. One of the most prominent jazz musicians in the world, saxophonist Evan Parker will perform in Macedonia for the first time together with Slovenian improviser Zlatko Kaucic. The second act of the evening is Get The Blessing, lauded as one of UK's best live bands.

Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus from Norway and The Abercrombie Quartet from the United States are slated to perform on Friday.

The Balkan premiere of the project "Balkan Fever", presenting Vlatko Stefanovski, Miroslav Tadic and Theodosii Spassov at a concert together with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, will take place on Saturday.

Jazz icon Roscoe Mitchell and his trio and legendary jazz singer Cassandra Wilson with Harriet Tubman music collective are scheduled to perform on Sunday.

The festival's final day is reserved for the Paris-based Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf and one of the jazz’s greatest bass players Dave Holland.

Number of passangers at Macedonia's airports continues to rise

The number of passengers passing through the two Macedonian airports in August increased by 20.5% compared to the same month last year, new figures show released by TAV Macedonia - the operator of the Skopje-based "Alexander the Great" airport and "St. Paul the Apostle" airport in Ohrid.

The Skopje airport handled 115,023 passengers, up 23.1%, while the Ohrid airport was used by 16,463 passengers i.e. 131,486 passed through the two airports.

In the first eight months of 2013, compared to the same period last year, an increase in the number of passengers was recorded - a total of 732,831 people, up 17.5%. There has been also a rise in the number of flights. 8,489 operations of aircrafts were realized between January and August, which is a 9.9% increase compared to the same period in 2012. A significant increase of 16.2% was registered in August in comparison to the same month last year.

This increase comes as a result of introducing several additional flights per week by Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Croatia Airlines and Fly Dubai. During the summer season, flight were being realized weekly to popular tourist destinations, such as Antalya and Izmir and Sicily.

Istanbul followed by Vienna, London and Malmo were the most popular destinations from the Skopje airport in August, stated the press release. Istanbul, Vienna, Zurich, London and Ljubljana were the top five destinations between January and August. Most of the passengers traveled with Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Adria Airways and Pegasus Airlines.

Skopje City Walk: a self-guided tour around Skopje

The printed version of the Skopje City Walk is available for purchase in the city center of Skopje. The price is 200 denari (£2.70 / €3.20 / $4.25). There is also a digital version available for $2,99 (provided by the Dutch fans of City of Skopje, Sanne and Linda). Scroll down for more information on the e-book.

Points of sale print version in Skopje

- National Museum, Ulica Drvarska in the old historical center (Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00)

- Souvenir kiosks on several locations in the city center (Daily 10:00-22:00)
- Porta Makedonija, Ulica 11 Oktomvri next to the main square (Daily 09:00-21:00)
- Bookshop Kultura, Ulica Makedonija 51 (directly at the central square) (Daily 09:00-18:00)

Digital version

The digital version of the Skopje City Walk is available on the website of Smashwords, as epub, pdf, kindle, rtf, lrf and pdb.

On the website of Smashwords, you can view the first part of Skopje City Walk for free. If it made you enthusiastic, you can purchase the e-book for only $2.99.

E-book Skopje City Walk
(Also available in Dutch: E-book Stadswandeling Skopje)

More information at: http://www.skopjecitywalk.com/

Confucius Institute opens within SS. Cyril and Methodius University

President Gjorge Ivanov and Education Minister Spiro Ristovski are to attend Tuesday formal opening of Confucius Institute within SS. Cyril and Methodius University.

The establishment of Confucius Institute is in partnership between the SS. Cyril and Methodius University and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) in Chengdu, the People's Republic of China and is a result of strengthening the cooperation in education between Macedonia and China. 

Skopje Clinic gets new equipment, medical results in 1/2 hour

Macedonia's Government has been investing over EUR 100 million in the health care system in order to provide high-quality medical service to citizens, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said Friday at a promotion of new EUR 700.000-worth-equipment for the Skopje City Hospital '8 September'.

The new up-to-date equipment will be put at service to all citizens who need help. the PM said, adding that a new group of eight US doctors would be soon engaged in this hospital to train their Macedonian colleagues.

"All ongoing activities for modernization turn this medical center into one of the largest in Macedonia," Gruevski said.

With the new equipment the '8 September' hospital will be able to offer high-quality health care services to citizens, Health Minister Nikola Todorov said.

Globex builds first facility at Cojlija industrial zone

A ceremony on Wednesday marked the start of construction of the first facility at the multifunctional industrial zone Cojlija - a logistics center which is an investment by the company Globeks DOO Skopje. 

"One million euros will be invested in the logistics center and initially 30 new jobs are set to be opened, out of the planned 360 employments," Minister of Transportation and Communications Mile Janakieski said at the ground-breaking ceremony.

The facility is being built on an area of 7,000 square meters and is supposed to be completed in the first quarter of 2014.

65 lots in Cojlija industrial zone - the biggest in Macedonia - have been sold so far and cornerstones for some of the planned investments are expected to be laid in due time, according to Janakieski.

"It is expected Cojlija in two to three years' time to be turned into a real construction site and an industrial zone where thousands of people from the municipality of Petrovec and its region will be employed," the minister stressed.

The government, he added, in cooperation with the municipalities is continuously conducting activities to urbanize as much lots as possible for construction of industrial centers and to offer favourable prices and services to companies.

The company's owner, Snezana Kokra said that the logistics center and Globeks' daughter firm Global Logistics will be included in the area employing 350 people.

With Wizz Air to Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt for $32

As of April 2014, low-cost airline Wizz Air is to introduce flights from Skopje to Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris, subsidized by the Macedonian Government.

The airline will introduce two flights a week to the three destinations, with ticket prices starting at Denar 1,500 (EUR 25).

Wizz Air will also put into use its new passenger plane Airbus A-320 next April, thus increasing its pool at Skopje-based airport "Alexander the Great".

Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski and Wizz Air Executive Vice-President John Stephenson said at Monday's press conference that frequency of flights to majority of the existing destinations - Malmo, Basel, Dortmund, Eindhoven, Goteborg and Munich - would also increase.

According to Minister Janakieski, subsidizing has contributed to the increase of passengers by 18.2 percent at the Skopje and Ohrid airports.

Wizz Air has a 35.2-percent share in the total number of passengers, followed by Turkish Airlines, Austria Airlines, Adriatic Airlines and Pegasus.

TAV Macedonia, which operates the Macedonia's airports, has said efforts are invested for more flights to Italy and re-establishment of flights to Budapest and Prague.

Skopje remembers 1963 earthquake

Skopje marks Friday the 50. anniversary from the 1963 catastrophic earthquake, in which 1,070 people lost their lives, while 3,000 were injured.

Numerous delegations and citizens laid flowers at the monument of the perished in the earthquake at the Skopje city cemetery, including Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, Skopje Mayor Koce Trajanovski, PM's Cabinet representatives, political parties, city's municipalities, Red Cross, Macedonian Army, as well as foreign delegations, UNICEF etc.

The Red Cross of the City of Skopje organized the traditional humanitarian blood donation campaign, whereas a religious service was held in church "St.Kliment Ohridski".

This evening's official programme includes poetry reading "To Skopje with Love" in front of the Museum of the City of Skopje, while exhibition titled "26 July 1963" will open in museum's premises.

Multimedia project "Skopje Remembers" will be held at Macedonia Square, whereas the Macedonian Cultural Centre will screen a 24-hour film marathon, along with exhibition "Show Your Hope".

A broken clock marking the time of the earthquake, 5:17 a.m., remains at the scene. The severe earthquake left some 80 percent of Skopje in ruins, with 1.070 dead persons and more than 200.000 homeless.

Relief in money and kind, including medical, engineering, and building teams with supplies, came from 78 countries. From this, Skopje was called the 'City of International Solidarity.'

In the days after the earthquake, 35 nations asked the United Nations General Assembly to put relief for Skopje on its agenda, and a campaign directed at national governments and international agencies began to identify resources to assist in recovery efforts. As the General Assembly stated in resolution 1882 of 14 October 1963, the spirit of international solidarity demonstrated in the aftermath of the Skopje earthquake transformed the reconstruction effort into a symbol of friendship and brotherhood among peoples.

Prior to 1900, the seismic history of Skopje, as part of the Vardar seismic zone, is practically reduced to a rather brief description of the earthquake catastrophes of Scupi in 518 A.D. and that of Skopje in 1555. The old Scupi was situated about 4-5 km northwest of the center of the present Skopje. As ground fissure extending over 45 km in length and up to 4 meters in width is reported for this earthquake, it seems that it is the strongest shock that has ever occurred in Macedonia. The earthquake of 1555 is said to have demolished a part of Skopje. Both earthquakes are estimated to be of strong intensity.

Take a peek into the new Aqua Park

Entrance fee is 300 denars. For kids under the age of 4, entrance is free.

Skopje 2014 wins award at Zagreb Tour Film Festival

The promotional film "Skopje 2014" wins 3rd award at the Zagreb Tour Film Festival which was held July 3-5 in Mimara Museum in Zagreb.

The award is in category of films up to 2 minutes, in a competition of over 300 promotional films from 56 countries worldwide.

The festival is a member of International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT) held under the Croatian President's patronage.

The festival's goal is to reward films and audiovisual productions that promote tourism in the following aspects: tourist destination, hotels and resorts, culture and tradition, rural tourism, adventure tourism, extreme sports, religious tourism...

The promotional film "Skopje 2014" is a created by Omega Communications Agency, produced by Kino Oko production company as part of government's Macedonia-Timeless project.

Skopje from a Helicopter, at night

Skopje hosts international conference on Electric cars

The first-ever conference on electric vehicles titled "Electric Vehicles - New Mobility Trends" was organised Thursday by the association for electric vehicles "Elektromobilnost Makedonija" at the Skopje-based Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Guests from Slovenia and Bulgaria, representatives of the Ministry of Economy and the Electricity Transmission System Operator of Macedonia (MEPSO) and innovators delivered speeches at the conference where the first declaration on e-mobility was adopted.

President of NGO "Elektromobilnost Makedonija", Kiril Minanov said the goal was not only to design electric vehicles, but also to transform urban environments.

"Provided that we divide it in two, the electric part will be dealt by engineers in which faculties and institutes will be involved, whereas the second will cover the areas of anthropology, urbanisation, traffic and safety," he said.

Several electric cars and an electric scooter developed for the first time in Macedonia were displayed in the faculty lobby.

"Elektromobilnost Makedonija" aims at initiating an interest in Macedonia in electric vehicles by promoting fresh trends in urban transportation, sustainable transport in Macedonia and by raising awareness on new technologies.

Skopje's new theater

investments announced in Petrovec industrial zone

A plant for production of styrofoam and PVC elements, a logistics center for product processing, a center for storing precious materials and a storage are the new facilities which will be built in the Petrovec industrial zone nearby Skopje.

The investors who got locations for construction of facilities in the industrial zone were presented Wednesday with building permits by Minister of Transport Mile Janakieski and the mayor of Petrovec municipality, Borce Mitevski.

"This move is another confirmation of the positive policies conducted to attract new investments," Janakieski stated.

He added that the procedures for obtaining building permission had been radically mitigated and were issued electronically since the beginning of June.

Skopje's Old Theatre to be opened today

Skopje's reconstructed Old Theatre will be formally opened today.

The premiere of "Eternal House" - a play by Jordan Plevnes will mark the start of theatre season of the Macedonian National Theatre in September.

The Museum of the Macedonian National Theatre, which represents first formed theatre museum collection presented in Macedonia, will also be promoted.

Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska will address the opening ceremony.

The new theatre building is on the bank of the river Vardar and has been constructed on the foundation of the old theatre which was destroyed in 1963 Skopje earthquake.

International "Tremolo Guitar Fest" opens in Skopje

The International Festival of Classical Guitar "Tremolo Guitar Fest" will be held 24-26 May in organisation of the Children Cultural Centre "Karpos" and the City of Skopje.

Also for the fourth time in a row an international classical guitar competition for pupils, high school students and university students will be held.

The jury is comprised of famous guitar players Darko Bageski and Aleksandar Krstanovski (Macedonia), Dzevdet Sahatdzija and Antonio Rumenovic (Croatia), Darko Karajic and Bosko Radojkovic (Serbia) and Stela Dinkova (Bulgaria). The best guitar players will be awarded.

Promotional Bicycle ride in Skopje

The City of Skopje and the Cycling Federation of Macedonia organized Sunday promotional event "Ride a Bike" in Skopje downtown.

Skopje Mayor Koce Trajanovski and Cycling Federation of Macedonia President Saso Dimitrioski took part in the ride, saying it aimed at promoting the bicycle as an alternative means of traffic, which use has a number of positive benefits.

"The City of Skopje pays much attention to improving the infrastructure for the use of bicycles in the city. I would like these promotional rides to be held at least once a month at alternative routes", said Mayor Trajanovski.

He added the bicycle has a number of benefits, mainly environmental and financial.

Skopje hosts Prom Parade, 2013

More than 1.200 students from Macedonian high schools danced Friday in Skopje city square the "Quadrille" upon the music from "The Bat" by Johan Strauss, thus joining for the seventh time international event Prom Parade 2013.

Also high school graduates from Kumanovo, Strumica, Gevgelija, Ohrid and Struga participated at the parade.

European Union, your future home, is as this dance, all different but still the same, EU Ambassador Aivo Orav said greeting the high school graduates.

Zorica Stamenkovska from Agency for Youth and Sport expressed satisfaction from huge number of graduates, participants at the parade, who will succeed this year to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

Believe in yourselves, inspire the people around you, do not stop realising your dreams, wishes and ideas, Stamenkovska said to high school graduates.

Organisers of the event are Skopje Culture and Art Office and "Ritam Plus" dance club, supported by the City of Skopje, Agency for Youth and Sport and EU Delegation to Macedonia.

According to the idea of the organisers, also 1963 high school graduates joined the event marking their 50th prom anniversary.

Hilton expanding to Skopje

World-renowned brand "Hilton" has signed a franchise agreement with "Stone Bridge Hotel" over the construction of "Double Tree by Hilton Skopje" along the river Vardar in Aerodrom municipality.

The investment in the hotel is worth EUR 30 million, including 170 rooms, four conference halls, wellness and spa centers, business center etc.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said at Monday's cornerstone-laying ceremony that the arrival of "Hilton" confirmed that the efforts for attraction of investments in Macedonia yielded results.

"The hotel, which is to be completed next fall, will put Skopje on the map of cities that have this global hotel brand", said Gruevski.

According to him, the "Hilton" brand would have an enormous significance in the support of tourism in Skopje and Macedonia in general.

"Besides tourism, the construction industry will also benefit. Many construction workers will built the hotel, with numerous other companies from Macedonia to be indirectly involved. Following its construction, over 100 jobs will open, giving the investment additional value", added PM Gruevski.

Ulrich Widmer, Hilton Worldwide Senior Vice President Development Central Europe, said the brand suited Macedonia, offering exceptional capacities.

"We have enormous confidence in Macedonia's future and we are certain in Hilton's success", said Widmer.

Investor Ajdovan Ademoski said he was proud of bringing "Hilton" to Macedonia with the Government's support.

"Besides the hotel's capacities, we will also have educated staff in line with Hilton standards", stressed Ademoski.

Kenyan athletes win Skopje Marathon

A record number of competitors from 36 countries - 4.900 in total - took part in this year's Skopje Marathon on Sunday. Kenyan athletes Wycliffe Kipkorir Biwot won the men's race of the ninth Skopje Marathon and Caroline Jemeli Kipruto won the women's race.

Biwot completed the 42-kilometer race in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 56 seconds, which is a new record. Kipruto also broke a record after finishing the race in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 49 seconds.

The Macedonian state championship was won by Riste Lazarov and Vesna Kiradzieva.

"Today we showed that Skopje and Macedonia can be proud of the Skopje Marathon for being a brand and sporting event with competitors and audiences from all around the world," said Kire Sinadinovski - director of the Skopje Marathon.

The 2013 Skopje Marathon featured a full marathon - 42km;  half marathon - 21km; 5-km race and mini marathon. The Skopje Marathon was on the list of Qualifying Marathon Races in 2012 for the Olympics Games in London. It has been a member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) since 2009.