Macedonia

SKOPJE, December 1. /TASS/: Russia does not advocate the dismantling of the European Union (EU), but has noted that the level of rigid regimentation and lockstep discipline in the economic bloc now exceeds even that of its military twin, NATO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following a meeting of the Foreign Ministers’ Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje.

SKOPJE, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will provide 500 million euros (504 million U.S. dollars) in grants for the Western Balkan countries to tackle energy crisis, European Commission chief said here Wednesday.

The energy support package will help the whole Western Balkan region to invest in energy connections, energy efficiency and renewable energy, said Ursula von der Leyen at a joint press conference with North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski.

SKOPJE, July 16 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in North Macedonia on Saturday passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria and clearing the way to long-due European Union membership talks.

With 68 votes, the 120-seat parliament voted in favour of the agreement. Opposition lawmakers did not participate in the vote and left the room.

SKOPJE, July 16 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in North Macedonia on Saturday passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria and clearing the way to long-due European Union membership talks.

With 68 votes, the 120-seat parliament voted in favour of the agreement. Opposition lawmakers did not participate in the vote and left the room.

SKOPJE, July 14 (Reuters) - Thousands of people protested in North Macedonia on Thursday as parliament prepared to vote on a French compromise deal for settling the country's disputes with Bulgaria, which would enable its long-due European Union membership talks to start.

Police sealed off the parliament in the capital Skopje to prevent protesters, led by opposition parties, from storming into the building to stop the vote. Demonstrators yelled, whistled and threw ice cubes and eggs at the police.

SKOPJE, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The second round of local elections kicked off on Sunday in 44 municipalities across North Macedonia.

A total of 1,353,990 citizens have the right to cast their votes in 2,481 polling stations from 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) to 7 p.m. local time.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Ljupka Gugchecvka, the spokesperson of the State Election Commission, told reporters that the commission has accredited a total of 1,598 domestic and foreign observers to monitor the runoff, as well as 10 foreign journalists.

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s government will hold an emergency meeting Thursday over a fire overnight that ripped through a field hospital set up to treat COVID-19 patients, leaving at least 14 people dead.

The blaze broke out late Wednesday in the western city of Tetovo, where the hospital had been set up following a recent spike in infections in the region that left local hospitals full.

SKOPJE, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the Skopje International Airport on Sunday, Health Minister Venko Filipce said.

Filipce, who welcomed the shipment at the airport together with representatives of foreign embassies in the country, declared that around 20,000 elderly people over the age of 70 who suffer from chronic diseases will be inoculated first.

SKOPJE, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- North Macedonia is expected to start the vaccination process within this month and the process will be carried out in three stages, Minister of Health Venko Filipce said here on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference, Filipce presented the national vaccination plan developed by experts of the health ministry working on COVID-19.

According to Filipce, in the first phase the ministry plans to vaccinate high-risk groups, including health workers and people over the age of 70.

SKOPJE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients being hospitalized in North Macedonia has more than doubled in one day to 766, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

According to the ministry, a total of 426 patients were hospitalized in infectious wards throughout the country in the last 24 hours.

On Saturday, the country reported 556 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 86,150, with 67,164 recoveries and 2,614 fatalities.