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The Regions This Week
September 28, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 8
Southeast Europe
Albania started a roadshow for its new Eurobond
of up to €500mn. The successful issuance of the Eurobond would be a guarantee for the improve- ment of the country’s debt structure and the reduction of the debt portfolio.
Turkey's Yildiz Holding is exploring a sale of Godiva chocolate’s Japanese business in a deal that could fetch around $1.5bn, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. In May this year, Yildiz concluded months of discussions with almost a dozen banks to restructure two loans totalling $6.5bn, Turkey’s biggest ever loan re- structuring.
Moldova’s currency made a small step toward convertibility as it will be accepted for foreign exchange operations and banking transactions in Romania as of October 1. At this moment, the Moldovan leu cannot be exchanged in any foreign bank abroad.
UK DIY retailer Kingfisher is closing down Prak- tiker stores in the Romanian cities of Arad, Brasov and Pitesti. Kingfisher, which is also the parent company of Brico Depot Romania, completed the acquisition of its Praktiker Romania last year.
Dozens of inhabitants and tourists were evacuated after wildfires erupted in Croatia’s Peljesac pen- insula according to reports from the state rescue and protection bureau, DUZS. The firefighters’ in- tervention was made difficult by the strong winds that spread the fire.
Slovenian steel producer Slovenska Industrija Jekla will sell its poultry producer Perutnina Ptuj to Ukrainian holding company MHP. The steel producer said that the takeover would be benefi- cial to Perutnina Ptuj as MHP is willing to support it with investments.
COSCO Shipping Lines, China's largest state- owned shipping company, opened its first branch
in Bosnia as part of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative. COSCO already operates in Serbia and Croatia.
Czech power company CEZ is considering fil- ing another claim against Bulgaria and filing a complaint with the European Commission af-
ter the state-owned competition watchdog CPC banned its deal on the sale of its Bulgarian assets to local company Inercom Group.
Power supplies to Serbia’s biggest winter tourism resort were improved, as state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije put into operation the new Kopaonik substation.
Turkey and the US will overcome the current turbulent period in their relations through their strategic partnership, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech in New York. Erdogan admitted that Ankara and Washington disagree on a number of issues.
FDI in Kosovo plunged 40.5% y/y in the first half of 2018, to €88.4mn. The sectoral structure of FDI inflows is still dominated by real estate and con- struction which make up over three quarters of the total.
German car cable manufacturer ODW Elektrik is expanding in Macedonia, where it launched construction of a €4.2mn additional plant in the southwestern free industrial zone. This is the second stage of ODW Elektrik’s investment project in Macedonia that will open 90 new jobs.
Chinese company ZTE will invest in an electric bus assembly plant in Moldova, the government announced. In 2016, telecom equipment focused company ZTE acquired Zhuhai Guangtong Auto- mobile, a manufacturer of electric buses, and the experience gathered via this acquisition will serve as springboard for the electric-car initiative.