Business: Johnson Controls opens a car parts plant in Macedonia
14/12/2007
A US plant opens near Skopje. Also making news this week: Istanbul is set to become a future financial centre and a new natural gas pipeline is to be built in Croatia.
 The new Johnson Controls factory was formally opened in the Free Economic Zone in Bunardzik, Macedonia, on Wednesday (December 12th). [Tomislav Georgiev |
US automobile parts maker Johnson Controls opened a plant in Macedonia on Wednesday (December 12th) .The facility, in the Bunardzic free economic zone near Skopje, will initially employ 150 people and produce car parts sold on the German and French markets.
***
Istanbul will become an international financial centre with planned investments of $2 billion in the next three years, the head of the Managing Board of the Turkish Banks Association, Ersin Ozince, said on Tuesday (December 11th). The investment is the first stage of a programme implemented with the support of Turkish banks and in co-operation with the IMF.
***
Investors placed more than 1.5 billion euros in subscription orders as part of the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Romania's Transgaz Medias, according to data published on Monday (December 10th). The IPO became the largest subscription in the history of the Bucharest Stock Exchange with an offer 23.5 times more than the subscripted initial value.
***
The EBRD announced on Monday (December 10th) it would lend 4m euros to Kosovo's NGO Enterprise Programme to finance micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. The project would help local entrepreneurs finance new or expand existing businesses.
***
Croatian pipeline operator Janaf intends to invest a total of 15m euros in a new natural gas pipeline in 2009, which should detour the current pipeline near Krcki Most. The project has been launched amid growing security and environmental concerns.
***
The EBRD announced its plans to invest more than 20m euros in 2008 in the Albanian energy and infrastructure projects and the private sector. The bank will finance a new energy efficiency fund aimed at restricting waste in the electricity distribution system.
***
Serbia's air carrier Jat Airways and Montenegro's Montenegro Airlines agreed to co-operate under the Open Sky Agreement. The agreement allows all EU airlines to travel without limits to all airports in the EU, as long as the flights are announced ahead of time.
(Various sources – 07/12/07-14/12/07)
Email to a friend
Print Version 
Destination: Balkans
Visa-free travel: the road ahead
Europe votes -- EP elections 2009
Turkey: The Promise and the Challenge
The Hague's Most Wanted
Building Kosovo
We welcome your comments on SETimes's articles.
It is our hope that you will use this forum to interact with other readers across Southeast Europe. In order to keep this experience interesting, we ask you to follow the rules outlined in the comments policy. By submitting comments, you are consenting to these rules. While SETimes.com encourages discussion on all subjects, including sensitive ones, the comments posted are solely the views of those submitting them. SETimes.com does not necessarily endorse or agree with the ideas, views, or opinions voiced in these comments. SETimes.com welcomes constructive discussion but discourages the use of copy-pasted materials, unaccompanied links and one-line slogans. This is a moderated forum. Comments deemed abusive, offensive, or those containing profanity may not be published.
SETimes's Comments Policy