•Macedonian Government adopts decision to recognize Montenegro as independent state.

•NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer meets Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski and President Branko Crvenkovski in Skopje.

86,293 ordinary shares of Makedonski telekomunikacii were traded today by the sales principle of piece by piece at a starting price of 390 denars per share. Thus a total of 404,000 shares of Telecom were sold piece by piece over the past three days, which means that about 0.4 percent of the capital went to the hands of small shareholders.

•Assembly adopts amendments to Criminal Code pertaining to election process.

•Deputy Prime Minister Sekerinska denies involvement of state institutions in arrest of El Masri.

Irish experts are going to teach the Government how to attract foreign investments through the project "Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Economy for Improving Macedonia's Investment Climate" funded by the European Union and carried out by the consulting house TDI Group.

•Prime Minister Buckovski meets with Austrian Prime Minister Wolfgang Schuessel in Vienna.

•UNMIK Chief Soren Jessen-Petersen meets with President Crvenkovski and Prime Minister Buckovski in Macedonia.

•President Crvenkovski rejects request for dropping of charges against Vraniskovski.

•IMF states economic situation in Macedonia improved.

•Forum for development of municipalities by way of pre-accession funds held in Skopje.

•No bids for second package of state-owned shares of Macedonian telecom.

•Government offers 45 percent of its shares in Makedonski Telekomunikacii on sale on stock exchange.

•City Pharmacies (Gradski apteki) sold for 13 million euros at Stock Exchnage.

•Bulgarian PM Sergej Stanishev to visit Macedonia Saturday.

•President Crvenkovski attends summit of leaders of Southeastern European states in Opatija, Croatia.

The Ministry of Economy announced the international tender for construction of 19 small hydroelectric power stations with overall capacity of 20 megawatts. All the locations are on rivers in the western part of Macedonia.

•Deputy PM Sekerinska discusses Greek plan for reconstruction of Balkans with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis in Athens.

•Total of 33 candidate lists for forthcoming parliamentary elections submitted to State Election Commission within statutory deadline.

•Defense Minister Jovan Manasievski and Turkish Ambassador Taner Karakash attend formal granting of Turkish donation to Macedonian Army.

Macedonia and the Benelux states signed a Readmission Agreement in The Hague today. Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva signed this agreement on behalf of Macedonia, while Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot and the Belgian and Luxembourg ambassadors in The Hague signed the agreement in the name of Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).

•FM Mitreva talks over European integration of Macedonia in  Netherlands.

•Minister Mitreva signs readmission agreement with states of Benelux.

The biggest Macedonian political parties SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE determined late last night their candidate lists for the forthcoming parliamentary elections, which will be held on 5 July.

•Seventh contingent of Macedonian Army troops departs for Iraq within frames of NATO mission in this country.

•Industrial production in April rises 2.4% from 2003 average.

•In  March 2006 average monthly net-wage paid per employee in Macedonia is 13255 denars, according to State Statistical Office.

•SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE determine candidate lists for forthcoming parliamentary elections.

PPD and BDI signed a declaration for cooperation in the coming elections. "Our coalition will certainly win," BDI leader Ali Ahmeti stated afterwards.

•World Bank: Macedonian economy is stable with growth of 4 % of GDP.

•Macedonia and United States sign Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in fight against weapons proliferation in Skopje.

The Macedonian Association for Digital Entertainment (MADE) started the preparations for the realization of the new project - Digital Media Film City.

"The concept of the project is converging the entire industry for digital entertainment in one place. There will be a number of studios in a single working facility, a wide spectrum of production, postproduction and other services to home and foreign clients," Romela Popovik-Trajkova, member of MADE, explained.

Read More

•Parliamentary delegation from Estonia pays visit to Skopje.

•Parliament debates modifications to Criminal Code.

Italy will continue to support Macedonia's aspirations for membership in EU and NATO. Rome is particularly glad that Macedonia received the status candidate for EU membership, and it is committed to continuation of the process for expansion of the EU, Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski stressed after the meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

• Government and Johnson Controls agree on activities for building factory at Bunardzik.

• Sts. Cyril and Methodius University marks 57th anniversary.

• Macedonian leadership pays homage at grave of St. Cyril in Rome.

• Foreign Minister Mitreva attends opening of Center for European Prospects in Ljubljana.

• President Branko Crvenkovski meets with new Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in Rome.

• Crvenkovski congratulates Montenegro's independence: "I have no doubts that Montenegro's
   independence will provide a positive contribution to regional stability".

• Macedonian and Croatian PMs support decision of Montenegrin citizens.

Macedonia refuted the news that it represents a nuclear threat to Greece, as Athens weekly "Pondiki" claimed. Radioactive material is not used in Macedonia for the production of chemical and medical products seeing as the country does not have a nuclear reactor, the Macedonian Office for Radiation Safety stated in its statement.

• Pope Benedict XVI receives President Branko Crvenkovski in Vatican.

• Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader pays official visit to Macedonia.

• FM Mitreva and Minister of Defense Manasijevski attends meeting with NATO ambassadors in Brussel.

The National Bank of Macedonia gave back the license for performing foreign exchange operations to Makedonska banka. According to the National Bank, the bank now meets all the legal requirements for payment and loan operations with foreign institutions.

• President Crvenkovski participates at 13th Summit of Central Europe Heads of States in Varna.

• Leaders of political parties signed declaration on fair and democratic elections in meeting with President Crvenkovski Thursday.

• Three people killed by unknown attackers in armed confrontation in Caircanka Shopping Center in Skopje last night.