Photos: New spectacular bridge in downtown Skopje

Skopje - Gothenburg flights for 28 euros

Skopje-Gothenburg is the new direct flight of company WizzAir, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe.

The new flight, due to operate as of May 31, is expected to annually carry 350,000 passengers.

The initial price for tickets, which are already available, is Denar 1,690 (EUR 28) for a one-way ticket, including a booking fee.

"Scandinavian countries are becoming increasingly interesting for tourism across Europe, and I personally believe Macedonia will also become popular for Swedish clients thanks to WizzAir. Our list of ten destinations from the Skopje airport gives Macedonian clients an exceptional choice", says WizzAir Executive Vice President John Stephenson.

Gothenburg, located on Sweden's west coast, is renowned for its quality sea food, sea safari and recreational fishing.

The Skopje-Gothenburg flight will operate every Monday and Friday.

Czech Republic to use Macedonia's official name

Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki sent a letter of gratitude to his Czech colleague Karel Schwarzenberg over the decision of the Czech Republic to affirm and make official its practice thus far to use Macedonia's constitutional name in the bilateral communication.

Macedonia highly appreciates the Czech Republic support of Macedonia since its independence It particularly welcomes the support  within the European Union for prompt launching of Macedonia's EU accession talks, the letter reads.

This decision of the Czech authorities is yet another proof of the excellent relations and a special friendly gesture towards further deepening of the confidence and friendship between the two countries, MoFA said in a press release.

"Alexander the Great" wins ACI's airport quality award

Skopje-based "Alexander the Great" airport has won the 2012 award for best airport in Europe in the category up to two million passengers annually. "Alexander the Great" is recognised out of 275 airports in the Best Airport by Size category by the Airports Council International (ACI).

The award is presented based on interviews with passengers about the quality of airport services.

Murat Ornekol - Operations Director of TAV Airports Holding, the concessioner of the two Macedonian airports - told a press conference on Wednesday that the company "is honored by this prestigious accolade for the Skopje airport." "It was rebuilt and started providing services in a very short time owning to our knowledge and experience."

Ornekol added that TAV's objective for 2013 was to increase the number of passengers using the Skopje airport up to one million.

Figures show that 906.871 passengers travelled through "Alexander the Great" in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, the number of passengers handled by the Skopje airport increased by 17.5%. At the moment, there are direct flights to 20 destinations, thus "Skopje is being connected with most of Europe and via Istanbul to any other place worldwide."

Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski said that the accolade for airport service quality "comes as a result of the project for the reconstruction and modernisation of the Macedonian airports by being taken over by TAV company."

"After completing the new airport, new standards in airport services in Macedonia have been introduced, which is now being recognised with this award," Janakieski stated adding that measures were being taken in cooperation with the concessioner to attract new airlines and to increase the number of flights in a bid to bolster the number of passengers up to one million.

Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska said that "Alexander the Great" after being constructed and modernized nowadays represented a facility "that each and everyone of us can be proud of."

"Professionally, all MoI staff have made utmost efforts to provide efficient services and simple procedures to the passengers," she added.

The ACI award is considered one of the most prestigious accolades in the industry.

Macedonia promoted at Tourism fair in Italy

As part of the planned fair presentations in 2013, the Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism promoted Macedonia at this year's BIT tourism fair, held on Feb. 14-17 in Milan, Italy.

Macedonia's tourism potentials were presented before tour operators and journalists from Italy as well as before potential tourists, featuring tasting of traditional Macedonian wine and food, the agency said on Tuesday.

The presentation was opened by Macedonia's consul general to Italy, Amon Bajramovski, who said in his speech that the countries' positive relations and excellent diplomatic, economic and political ties laid a foundation to expand the collaboration in the field of tourism.

Over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 120 countries promoted their tourism potentials at the four-day fair in Milan. Macedonia participated in the event for the first time.

Fantastic new "Bridge of Art" unveiled in Skopje

VanHool hiring 35 people for its Skopje location

The Belgian company Van Hool published Saturday job advertisement for 35 vacant positions in its production facility in Technological and Investment Development Zone - TIDZ Skopje 2 in Bunardzik.

The company which plans to produce buses in its new facility seeks workers in different positions as team leaders, carpenters, electricians, mechanics, controllers, coordinators, assistants…

Van Hool’s investment in production facility in TIDZ Skopje 2 is worth 20 million EUR and is expected to create 400 to 500 new job positions.

The facility is built on a parcel of 11.76 hectares and the production is expected to start in 2013. The planed annual production is 400 buses. The products will be exported to the U.S. and other markets.

Van Hool of Belgium manufactures approximately 1,400 busses and coaches and more than 4,000 units of semi-trailers, tank containers and other commercial vehicles annually. With a workforce of approximately 4,000 and annual turnover of over 450 million EUR, Van Hool is the largest integral bus manufacturing company in Western Europe. Van Hool holds major positions in different export markets. 80% of company’s production is exported to Europe, America, Africa, and Asia.

Recently opened Kozuv ski center flooded with Tourists

This year, during the first wave of tourists (6,000) at the newly constructed Kozuv ski center, over 3,500 came from Greece.

Kozuv has had quite the impression on both domestic and foreign skiers, so much so, the World Tourist Agency at the UN will advertise and market the Macedonian ski resort in the next two years.

 Kozuv is only an hour and half by car to Solun, so each weekend the majority of the tourists are from Solun.

 Two four star hotels are currently being built which will increase the sleeping capacity at the ski resort by 500 rooms. Thus far, the ski resot is very well known among skiers from the surrounding Balkan nations, however the plan via the UN is to make it known world wide. 

Everyone should experience the miles of open ski trails...

Skopje drinking water among safest in Europe

Skopje drinking water is of highest quality, the safest in Europe after Vienna, said Thursday Stojan Srbinoski, director of the city's water distribution company.

He stressed citizens should not be concerned over the water quality with regards to quantity and quality for the coming 50 years at least.

"Besides regular controls of the drinking water, waste water analyses are also conducted", said Srbinoski during the visit to the company's Sanitation Center.

The Center carries out daily drinking water analyses from 36 measurement points, along with analyses of waste waters from 21 measurement points in the Skopje region.

Treskavec Monastery gets 615,000 Den help from Government

The Government has granted one-time financial support of Denar 615.000 as first aid for renovation of the Treskavec monastery complex, damaged by fire this Monday. 

The Government entrusted the Ministry of Culture to design a complete project  for the monastery's reconstruction and restoration for one month at latest, Government spokesman Aleksandar Gjorgiev told reporters on Tuesday.

According to the project and cost-assessments, the Government will offer additional financial support for reconstruction of the damaged parts of the monastery complex.

A team of the Ministry of Interior is on the location to investigate the cause of the fire, Gjorgiev said.

Treskavec is one of the largest blocks of monasteries in Macedonia and a world-renowned monument of culture.

It has been caught by three massive fires in the past. The most recent one took place in 1990 when the monastery dormitories were completely damaged.

The monastery is situated on Mount Zlatovrv, 8 km north of Prilep. Built in the 12th century, it is known for being very inaccessible and has only one monk. The monastery possesses a large collection of Byzantine frescoes.