President Ivanov expressed gratitude for the continual support from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense to the Macedonian counterpart institution.

Minister Guanglie referred to continuation of cooperation in the defense field and all spheres of mutual interest, as well as readiness for further multilateral cooperation within international organizations.

Interlocutors exchanged opinions on intensification of economic cooperation, with a focus on trade exchange and investments.

Ivanov extended congratulations to the new leadership of China, hoping that the excellent cooperation would continue to develop in the future, the President’s Cabinet said in a press release.

The drugs were found on the Batrovci border crossing between Serbia and Croatia.

The truck was leaving Serbia, while the drugs were meant to be sold in Switzerland, according to the authorities.

Customs Anti-Smuggling Administration team chief Vladimir Kovacevic said the truck was checked early on Thursday, adding, “persons are still being processed and goods inventoried”, related to the case.

“It is nice to be in Skopje again. I will work really hard to see if we can make some progress,” Nimetz said upon the arrival on Thursday.

The UN Envoy is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, followed by President Gjorge Ivanov and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Nimetz met Wednesday with Greek Premier Antonis Samaras and Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in Athens. The Greek government wishes for a name row settlement with profound sincerity, he said after the talks.

Nimetz voiced satisfaction with the meeting being attended by Samaras and with having a “brief but intensive discussion”. The envoy said he presented several ideas, which had been discussed “in detail”.

“I don’t like using the word proposal, I prefer to use ideas that were discussed in November in New York. I’ve presented some of my considerations here. I’ll do the same in Skopje to see if we can bring our positions closer,” Nimetz said.

The senior diplomat said he couldn’t disclose what he had presented reiterating that a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue was being sought. Nimetz said he was convinced that “discussions could be accelerated in reaching some kind of solution.”

Greece’ diplomats assessed Nimetz’s visit to Athens as “a very early phase” of a new effort to resolve the name row, reads the local daily “Kathimerini”. Nimetz said the Greek side appeared open to a solution on the name issue, the daily reports.

Ministry sources clarified that Nimetz did not make any specific proposal but presented a “framework” that could be used for finding a solution. Hence, the same sources expressed optimism that a proposal likely to be made by Nimetz in a subsequent meeting would satisfy Greece’s demand for a solution containing a geographical determinant

“The latest political developments in your country are very worrisome for all of us who support you on your already difficult path towards European integration. In a democratic society like yours any kind of obstructions of the work of the national Assembly is counterproductive and very damaging for the progress and also the image of your country. Your adversaries will spare no effort and time to take advantage of the situation and make your progress towards the European Union even harder. Therefore, I appeal to all parties involved to calm the situation down, show political maturity and try to resolve the issues in calm, democratic manner and a political dialogue,” Zver told MIA.

He is set to meet with host Fatmir Besimi, focusing on bilateral relations in the defense field, as well as possibilities for their enhancement.

“I hear a lot of creative ideas from the European Commission, which is optimistic. I believe an agreement can be reached in the issue. As the U.S. economy recovers and the European one improves, one can be optimistic that 2014 will be a good period to pass political decisions in NATO. I believe the Chicago proposal to put Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Georgia in one group is not fair, placing our best candidates in the same group with states having structural problems. There are two qualified candidates – Macedonia and Montenegro”, Jackson told MIA.

He criticizes the prior engagement of President Barack Obama on the issue of Europe as a whole and the standstill in the NATO enlargement.

“The Obama administration has not done nearly enough for the Balkans, especially for Macedonia. President Obama is known for his lack of interest in foreign affairs, especially for Europe. State Secretary Clinton has excellent experience on the Balkans, but it has not effectuated in her mandate, which is not her fault. I believe President Obama was not interested in the Balkans, thus giving no instructions to Assistant-Secretary Gordon to do the job. No one did anything for the Balkans in Chicago. The President believes Macedonia has been a NATO member for five years, the situation exists even without the accession treaty. Why should the President waste his prestige on such an issue, when people die in many other places and there are serious threats to global economy”", says Jackson.

According to him, Greece is the main obstacle in the name row settlement, adding its economy would continue to sink in 2013.

“The rule was that we should not tell Greece anything about the name row because they were too strong, NATO and EU members. Now we should not tell Greece anything because they could break up as a country tomorrow. Their economy has been dropping for five years and they’ve still not hit the bottom. There is a threat of their complete economic decay and abandonment of institutions, thus solving Macedonia’s formal EU accession. However, Greece’s economy is large enough to drag Macedonia and the entire region into default”, underlines Jackson.

Macedonia ranks 43. out of 177 countries in the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, annually compiled by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation. Macedonia is ranked 21st out of 43 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is above the world and regional averages.

According to the index, Macedonia belongs to the “Moderately Free” group of economies.

In regional terms, Albania is 58., followed by Bulgaria (60), Turkey (69), Montenegro (70), Slovenia (76), Croatia (78), Serbia (94), Bosnia-Herzegovina (103), and Greece (117).

Macedonia’s economic freedom score is 68.2, making its economy the 43rd freest in the 2013 Index. Its overall score has decreased by 0.3 point from last year, with modest declines in monetary freedom, freedom from corruption, and labor freedom outweighing small improvements in the control of government spending and trade freedom.

“Macedonia’s transition to a more open and flexible economic system has been facilitated by substantial restructuring measures over the past decade. While maintaining macroeconomic stability, it has made considerable progress in income growth and poverty reduction. Competitive flat tax rates and a permissive trade regime, supported by a relatively efficient regulatory framework, have encouraged the development of a growing entrepreneurial sector”, read the country’s findings.

Implementation of deeper institutional reforms is critical to strengthening the foundations of economic freedom and inducing more dynamic long-term economic expansion. Systemic weaknesses persist in the protection of property rights and enforcement of anti-corruption measures. The judicial system is weak, undercut by lingering corruption, and vulnerable to political influence.

Hong Kong tops the rankings for the 19. year running, followed by Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. The top ten also includes Canada, Chile, Mauritius, Denmark and the United States. China is ranked 136., Russia 139., whereas Zimbabwe, Cuba and Norther Korea take the bottom.

Ten components of economic freedom are measured, assigning a grade in each using a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the maximum freedom. The 10 economic freedoms are grouped into four broad categories or pillars of economic freedom: Rule of Law (property rights, freedom from corruption); Limited Government (fiscal freedom, government spending); Regulatory Efficiency (business freedom, labor freedom, monetary freedom); and Open Markets (trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom).

The Boletini House is a unique building representing the authentic 18-century old-town architecture, one of the most significant cultural monuments in Gostivar.

The building’s exterior was entirely overhauled in the course of 2012.

Nimetz, who met with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, said the Greek side appeared open to a solution on the name issue.

Ministry sources clarified that Nimetz did not make any specific proposal but presented a “framework” that could be used to find a solution. On the basis of this, the same sources expressed optimism that a proposal likely to be made by Nimetz in a subsequent meeting would satisfy Greece’s demand for a solution containing a geographical determinant, says “Kathimerini”.

On Wednesday, Nimetz met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in Athens, saying the government wanted a name row settlement with profound sincerity.

Nimetz voiced satisfaction with the meeting being attended by Samaras and with having a “brief but intensive discussion”. The envoy said he presented several ideas, which had been discussed “in detail”.

“I don’t like using the word proposal, I prefer to use ideas that were discussed in November in New York. I’ve presented some of my considerations here. I’ll do the same in Skopje to see if we can bring our positions closer,” Nimetz said.

The senior diplomat said he couldn’t disclose what he had presented reiterating that a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue was being sought. Nimetz said he was convinced that “discussions could be accelerated in reaching some kind of solution.”