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The Regions This Week
July 27, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 7
Southeast Europe
Macedonia’s government and opposition failed to agree on the question for the upcoming referendum on the name deal with Greece. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev wants to ask citizens: “Are you for EU and Nato membership by accepting the name deal between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?” but the opposition VMRO-DPMNE says the question is ambiguous.
Private equity investor Mid Europa Partners bought a majority stake in Serbian private healthcare provider MediGroup. The private health system has been growing in Serbia in recent years after some foreign employers started offering their employees insurance that includes private healthcare coverage.
Relations between Turkey and the US threatened to hit a new low after US President Donald Trump warned he would slap “large sanctions” on the country unless Ankara freed American pastor Andrew Brunson on trial in Turkey on terrorism charges.
The government in Chisinau is putting flag carrier Air Moldova up for privatisation. The airline was among a list of 12 companies to be privatised that also includes tobacco company Tutun-CTC, glass factory Chisinau, typographic complex Chisinau and Zarea hotel.
Four prosecutors submitted their candidacies to become head of Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) before the deadline expired. Earlier in July, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis finally signed the politically charged decree dismissing former DNA head Laura Codruta Kovesi, as requested by the Constitutional Court at the end of May.
Bosnia is considering deploying its army to help border police deal with the growing migrant cri- sis. A new migrant route to the EU has opened up in the Western Balkans, via Bosnia, since the clo- sure of the main route across the region in 2016.
Environmentalists want Albania’s Munella Mountain declared a protected area to save the Balkan lynx. Albanian environmental watchdog the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment (PPNEA) said the move it would save the current handful of Balkan lynxes from human-caused extinction.
Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom gave the green light for Bulgarian nuclear plant Kozloduy’s sixth reactor to continue functioning until 2051. The Kozloduy plant, by the river Danube on the border with Romania, has two 1,000MW reactors that produce about 33% of Bulgaria’s electricity.
Croatia's largest tourism company Valamar Riviera committed to buy a four-star hotel
in Austria. The acquisition of the Petersbühel hotel in Obertauern is Valamar’s first investment abroad and represents a step towards
the internationalisation of its business.
Romania’s budget deficit more than doubled y/y to 1.6% of GDP in H1. The general government budget rose by 138% to RON15bn (€3.2bn) in January-June, reaching the upper end of (if
not exceeding) the consensus forecast range with a negative impact on the country's overall macroeconomic outlook.
Kosovo agreed to partly lift 30% customs
duties imposed on imports of some fruits and vegetables. The move, intended to help domestic producers, was opposed by Kosovo’s neighbours, with Macedonia now pushing for a full lifting of the duties.
New supervisory board members were made at Slovenian household appliances manufacturer Gorenje Group following its takeover by China's Hisense Electric Co. Hisense increased its stake in Gorenje to 95.42% in June, after being selected as Gorenje's strategic partner the previous month.