Greek budget deficit down sharply in first half 2013

The Greek state budget deficit fell to 4.991 billion euros in the first six months of 2013, from 12.477 billion euros in the same period last year and down from a budget target for a deficit of 7.194 billion euros, the finance ministry said yesterday.

In a report, the ministry said that the budget’s primary deficit was 1.511 billion euros, in the January-June period, down significantly from a primary deficit of 3.316 billion euros last year and a budget target for a shortfall of 3.877 billion euros.

Serbia gets 212 small hydroelectric power stations

By signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the representatives of 15 municipalities and investors, the Energy Ministry today finished the procedure of allocating 212 sites for the construction of small hydroelectric power stations in Serbia.

If all these small hydroelectric power stations are completed on schedule, Serbia will get about 1,000 new jobs and a new capacity of 80 megawatts over the next three years, said Dejan Trifunovic, assistant to the Energy Minister.

Pegasus launches flights to Albania's capital, Tirana

Pegasus Airlines continues to expand its network rapidly with the addition of such new routes as Albania's Tirana. Pegasus' latest new destination of Tirana launches on September 2 and will run five times a week from Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport.  

Huawei invests EUR 200 million in Serbian railway

The railway company Zeleznice Srbije (ZS) signed on Wednesday an agreement with the Chinese company Huawei on modernizing its telecommunications, with the total value of the investment standing at around EUR 200 million.

Bulgaria's Current Account Turns To Surplus, FDIs Down

Bulgaria's current account swung to a surplus for the first five months of 2013 from a deficit a year ago, data released by the Bulgarian National Bank showed Wednesday.

The current account showed a surplus of EUR 28.7 M from January till the end of May, compared to a deficit of BGN 1.04 B in the same period a year earlier.

Chinese Company “SEPCO 3” is building a thermal plant in Zenica

After a successful conduction of analysis and review of the project, municipality Zenica signed an agreement yesterday with the Chinese state company “Sepco 3” on the construction and purchase of equipment for the thermal plant Toplana, for which the foundations for construction were laid for this most important infrastructural project in Zenica and one of the most important energy projects in this part of Europe.