Skopje, 18 July 2023 (MIA) - The Government will reassess Tuesday the decision on merging the concessions for the Ilovica-Shtuka mine, with Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi set to provide a report on further proceedings.

Over the past weekend, activists and citizens in Strumica staged a protest against the decisions by courts and the Government for the merger of the concessions for mines in Bosilovo and Novo Selo municipalities, saying no mines should be allowed in the region.

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski reiterated SDSM and the Government's position that mines will not open if citizens are against it. According to him, concessions for the mines were given in 2012 and 2013, at the time of the then-VMRO-DPMNE government. 

"SDSM has been against these mines since day one and the position is the same today, because people do not want them. At the next Government session, the Minister of Economy will present all documents starting from 2012, since there are many court decisions involved. Nevertheless, the position of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Environment and myself as PM is clear - there will be no mines if people living in the area where such concessions had been given are against it. These concessions were given by VMRO-DPMNE and the mines did not open only because the SDSM-led government has worked against this," Kovachevski told reporters.

Photo: MIA archive