Today, 7 May 2004, BTC is welcoming a Macedonian delegation led by Stev\u010do Jakimovski, Minister of Finance, and Iljaz Sabriu, Macedonian Ambassador to Slovenia. <\/strong><\/P> The guests were received by the President of the Management Board, Jo\u017ee Mermal and the visit was accompanied by Macedonian journalists. The intention is to examine the activities of BTC City because a city of a similar scope is being built in Skopje in co-operation with BTC plc and Era Velenje. <\/strong><\/P> Slovenia’s entry to the European Union also meant BTC’s entry to other foreign markets, Macedonia being one of many. The first important project is the construction of a business and shopping centre similar to Ljubljana’s BTC City in Skopje in co-operation with ERA Velenje. BTC will invite its long-term and reliable partners to co-operate, but both companies will be looking for their own long-term strategic partners. <\/P> The Era City Skopje shopping centre will be built where the Skopje Trade Fair (owned by Era plc) is located. It is situated near the Skopje-Pri\u0161tina motorway and the centre of Skopje. By this summer the whole design will have been prepared. Negotiations with potential business partners are already taking place and co-operation contracts will have been signed by summer. The Era City Skopje Congress centre with 2 congress halls has already been upgraded, and the construction of the commercial centre is seen as a continuation of the project. <\/P> The whole Era City Skopje project is designed as a mixture of trade fair, commercial, congress and entertainment activities because this combination attracts more visitors, as proven by Ljubljana’s BTC City. The project is due to be completed in the next three years, with the total investment being worth EUR 80 to 100 million. <\/P>