Business: Tomatoes top Macedonia's exports
26/06/2009
Macedonian tomatoes are a hit on the international market. Also in business news: Romania and the EC sign a 5 billion-euro memorandum, and recession continues in Bulgaria.
 Tomato export trends remain steady in Macedonia. [Getty Images] |
The ongoing trend of tomato export growth in Macedonia continues this year with almost 80% of its winter crops already exported, the agriculture minister announced. The positive trend is expected to continue throughout the summer, when production peaks. In 2008, Macedonia exported about 62,526 tonnes of tomatoes worth 21.12m euros, nearly double the 36,593 tonnes it exported in 2005.
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Romania and the European Commission signed a memorandum for a 5 billion-euro loan to help Romania tackle the financial crisis, Mediafax reported on Tuesday (June 23rd). The agreement was signed by EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquín Almunia and Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc.
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Turkey held a tender for the construction of a highway between Istanbul and Izmir on Friday (June 19th) that would reduce travel time by three hours, local newspapers reported. The project also includes the construction of one of the world's longest bridges, which would stretch over the Gulf of Izmir.
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The recession in Bulgaria continues, and is expected to creep into 2010, the European Commission (EC) said in a report on public finances released on Tuesday (June 23rd). According to the report, Bulgaria faces the challenge of sustaining growth in a severe global economic downturn. The document recommends the implementation of firm policies to correct its large external deficit and improve the quality of public expenditures.
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The Ener-Alb Projects consortium won a concession to construct a yacht port in Lalezi Bay, near Durres, Albania, local media reported on Wednesday (June 24th). The consortium won a 9.6m euro bid and port management for 32 years.
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The Pension Fund of Kosovo lost 92.5m euros in the last year, independent auditors reported on Tuesday (June 23rd). The losses are a result of the recession hitting financial institutions, where most Pension Fund savings are.
(Various sources – 19/06/09-26/-6/-09)
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