Zivko Gruevski, representative of the Euromax Resources company, warned that they want to avoid taking the country to court but if they do – “our lawyers assure us it would be the easiest case they ever had”. The company was in advanced preparations to build a large copper mine near Strumica when the SDSM led Government stopped this process, after protests from environmentalists.

The Government, or most of its members, now want to allow the Ilovica mine to go ahead, after a businessman close to the powerful DUI party bought a 25 percent stake in the company.

Of course the option of arbitration remains ready, but it will be used only in dire need. I’m shocked with the ease with which political factors react to the possible arbitration against the country. It is a serious danger and if we begin it, we would be certain of a positive outcome. We are talking about more than billion EUR that would be a shocking amount for the country, Gruevski said.