English
The public and the opposition will be pleasantly surprised by the terms of the financial agreements that are being negotiated as part of the strategic partnership treaty with the United Kingdom, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski. The Government is already reviewing offers for the high speed railroad line along Corridor 10, which will be the biggest item on the agenda.
Because we are in the midst of organizing local elections, the process will be paused briefly. After we have finished analyzing the situation we will have a level playing field to enter into talks for bilateral agreements and whoever makes the best offer will win the contract to finance this project. After that we will select the company or companies who will build the railroad. All will be transparent and publicly available, said Mickoski.
Several other projects from the UK treaty, such as the construction of the clinical hospital in Stip, a new student dorm and medical faculty in this city, a new hospital in Kicevo and reconstruction of the Tetovo hospital will be up before the Government at the next session, when the Healthcare and Finance Ministries will begin the process of securing the funding.
Speaking before the Parliament, Mickoski said that talks are on-going about the large Cebren hydro plant – whether to have it funded through a loan and keep it under the state owned ELEM/ESM energy company, or to try to find private investors.
We can try to mobilize private capital. Companies from the US, Germany, Greece, UK and Turkey are interested to form a joint company with ESM and build the dam, but without adding the Tikves dam to the company. They would build everthing, and ELEM would have a share of the new dam, Mickoski said.
