Distinguished Attendees,
Esteemed Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honor, as President of the Republic of Macedonia, to greet this Western China International Cooperation Forum.

More than 2300 years ago, Alexander the Great, on his expedition across Asia, conquered new territories and opened new roads. As a result of that first historic globalization, the Silk Road was expanded and upgraded, enabling development and common prosperity of many countries and peoples over the centuries. The great Chinese master, Confucius says: "Wherever you go, go with all your heart". Following the legacy of the Silk Road and the wise advice of Confucius, we have, indeed arrived in friendly China, searching for common prosperity.

Distinguished Attendees,

This year marks 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the People's Republic of China. China is one of our closest partners and our cooperation has steadily strengthened and intensified in every field. China is among the 20 countries we have the greatest trade exchange with. Our intention is to expand this positive experience in other fields, too.

There are numerous opportunities and a strong interest in trade. Recently I have learnt that about 250 million Chinese citizens already buy on-line. This is a great opportunity for placement of Macedonian products on the Chinese market. We wish, in the period to come, the cooperation between the two economies to be further elevated and to exceed the level of political relations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is beauty in everything, but not everyone can recognize it, says a Chinese wisdom. This is also true for the Macedonian economy, which offers excellent opportunities for investment and business that only need to be recognized and utilized.

The Republic of Macedonia has a favorable geographical position. Two Pan- European corridors, Corridor 8 and Corridor 10 pass through its territory. Through Macedonia, you have access to 650 million consumers in Europe and beyond. In time of global economic and financial crisis, we have managed to maintain stable macroeconomic policy. Macedonia's economy is characterized by low inflation, which is in average 2% in the last 4 years. We have balanced public finances, low budget deficit, stable exchange rate and low public debt. Macedonian workforce is young, educated, hard working and loyal.

It is said that life is like riding a bicycle - if you want to maintain the balance, you have to constantly move forward. So it is with the Macedonian economy – we are relentlessly moving towards improving the business climate for foreign investors. We have implemented, in this regard, substantial reforms. Reforms that provide higher profits for the investors and increased competitiveness in relation to other companies. Here, I will refer only to a few of the numerous benefits offered by Macedonia.

We have introduced low and flat taxes of 10% - among the lowest in Europe. There is release of tax retained earnings, not distributed in dividends. There are low property taxes ranging from 2 to 4%. We have gradually reduced the social contributions for 1/3. With the regulatory guillotine, we have removed all legal and administrative barriers that potential investors could face.

Dear Friends,

My message to all of you is simple: Macedonia's economy is open to China. Macedonia's economy is open to the world. Global reports, indeed, speak of that.

According to the Forbes 2012 Global Ranking, Macedonia is on the high 37th position in the world for starting business favorability.
According to the "Doing Business" World Bank Report, Macedonia is 5th best destination in the world for starting a business.
For three years, Macedonia is the best reformer in South Eastern Europe.
Two years in a row, Macedonia is the 3rd best reformer in the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I started with the first, and I shall conclude with the last globalization, the globalization of today. We live in a time when every state, regardless of the size of its territory and its population, has the opportunity to be directly involved in the global race for profit. Most successful in that race would be those states that would replace the economic dependence with economic inter-dependence, those states that would invest in long-term and balanced growth and development. Our Chinese hosts acknowledge their dedication to this approach by deeds. This is proven in the openness of the Chinese economy. Openness confirmed with the "Warsaw Initiative" for closer economic cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe. The Republic of Macedonia has recognized and accepted the opportunity offered by the Chinese government for infrastructure projects funding.

If, in the past, the avenues of trade and profit were paved for decades and centuries, today, in the digital era, they are establish instantly. Wisdom says: "If you want to travel fast, go alone, if you want to reach the destination safe, travel with others". I am confident that the companies present at this Forum will recognize the momentum and take advantage of the excellent opportunities offered by Macedonia for profitable investment, for sustainable growth and development. Opportunities that will result in common prosperity.

Thank you.