Institutions in Macedonia take concrete measures to reduce the number of asylum seekers, PM Nikola Gruevski said answering journalist question after the visit to general hospital in Gostivar.

Gruevski advised citizens who consider seeking an asylum not to allow to be manipulated by agencies that want to make a profit by playing with their destinies and are treated as criminals. The state takes concrete steps in direction to reducing already small number of people who are leaving the country in this way, Gruevski said.

The number of asylum seekers from Macedonia is far smaller compared to the asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and countries of North Africa, he said.

We are making maximum efforts to reduce their number and to help our friendly countries from the EU. In this direction we take measures to discourage persons who are manipulating our citizens who seek asylum and to be sanctioned. With concrete projects we are improving the conditions for health protection, education, infrastructure and creating new jobs, Gruevski said.

He is satisfied from economic presentations in Vienna, Munich and Düsseldorf where Macedonian delegation held direct meetings with potential investors.

I am very encouraged, the interest in Vienna was enormous as well as in Munich and Düsseldorf. We met with companies that are planning and consider opening new capacities, plants, factories and creating new jobs in Macedonia, but due to business ethics nothing cannot be announced, prior they make a decision, Gruevski said.

He said that lately there is a strong investment wave by global companies in Macedonia that will construct factories in the second half of 2012 and announced creating jobs for around 10.000 people. Many companies in Austria and Germany interested to invest in Macedonia are planning to create jobs fro 1.000 to 2.500 and even 4.000 people but as I said these numbers cannot be released prior their final decision for investment. Data for locations, unemployment structure, education quality will be sent to interested companies in the following days. Afterwards their boards will make decision for opening plants.

Government delegation led by Gruevski will leave today for a new presentation of Macedonia before investors in Singapore and Japan. Gruevski said that these are countries with huge capital, especially Japan where companies due to strong Japanese yen are interested for new markets for production.

I hope that we will attract new companies there, especially those looking for locations to cover European market, Gruevski said announcing similar business presentations in Turkey, Netherlands and Belgium by year-end.

He said that the government will not yield to pressures of some pharmaceutical companies that reacted on decision for reduction of over 1.200 medicaments, proposal which is already submitted to the parliament. – More than 200.000 chronically ill patients per year and around 40.000 acutely ill patients will benefit from the reduction of 1.200 medicaments. We hope that pharmaceutical companies will have sense for changes, which are up-to-date in Europe and in the world and will understand that it is about international standards and for the benefit of the Macedonian citizens, Gruevski said.

For some medicaments the prices will be more drastically reduced from 40 to 50 percent even more, Gruevski said, answering journalist questions after the visit in the reconstructed part of general hospital in Gostivar.