The “Diamond Mall” shopping center, built by the “Limak” group from Turkey, has opened in the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje, reports Anadolu.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, the First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, the Minister of the Interior, Oliver Spasovski, the Minister of Finance, Fatmir Besimi, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Ljupço Nikolovski, the chairman of the honor of the “Limak” group, Nihat Özdemir, the Turkish ambassador in Skopje, Hasan Mehmet Sekizkök, representatives of Turkish institutions in the country, mayors and many guests.
Özdemir, in his opening speech, said that they are excited to take an important step in the “Diamond of Skopje” project, located in the heart of Skopje and consisting of a hotel, residence, office and shopping center.
According to Özdemir, “Diamond Mall”, with a size of 48 thousand square meters, is an investment that will contribute to the revitalization of the economy and employment not only of Skopje, but also the country and the Balkans.
“‘Diamond Mall’, with a shopping selection consisting of 150 international companies, with the ‘gourmet’ street, which will bring together visitors with different cuisines and tastes, with the ‘Dream Zone’, which is the first of its kind in the Balkans, with a children’s education and entertainment area spanning an area of 3,500 square meters and combining imagination with education, it will be a living space beyond a shopping mall. which we do today, is the last link of the ‘Diamond of Skopje’ project that has a project size of 350 million euros and will provide employment for 1,000 people from different sectors”, said Özdemir.
Informing about the “Diamond of Skopje” project, Özdemir said that the project consisting of a hotel with 142 rooms, which opened for service in April 2021, towers with 772 residences and 24 home-offices, will be fully completed in end of 2024.
He considered it a great happiness and pride for them to realize this project in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, which they consider a historical and cultural neighbor. “As we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic of Turkey in just 9 days, our goal, under the leadership of our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan), is to bring entrepreneurs, their experience and knowledge to our heart, to the Balkans” , he said, thanking all the contributors.
Ambassador Sekizkök, for his part, emphasized that undertaking a large construction project, especially in a city like Skopje, which has a historical quality and in this place which is his heart, requires vision and experience.
According to him, the “Diamond of Skopje” was created in an impressive way in the inevitable process of the evolution of cities. “It was built with an understanding in line with the spirit of the times. As the name suggests, it is beautifully integrated into the fabric of Skopje. This special project brought to Skopje consists of various components. All parts of the whole will end up soon. The ‘Diamond Mall’, which we opened today, has brought an enriching dimension to the urban culture in Skopje with its jewel-like elegance and distinctive style. I have no doubt that it will be a source of inspiration for urban planners of our time.” emphasized the ambassador.
The General Director of Halkbank, Osman Arslan, expressed his satisfaction for the support they have given for the realization of the project. “We are the third largest bank in Turkey. But with pleasure I want to show that we have also become the fourth largest bank in North Macedonia. Our size as Halkbank North Macedonia has reached one and a half billion euros. Capital ours is 260 million euros and we are happy to be the second largest bank in North Macedonia in terms of commercial loans. We believe in the future of North Macedonia and as Halkbank North Macedonia, we will continue to support its economy and support businesses,” said Arslan.
After the speeches, the participants cut the opening ribbon, while the guests, including Prime Minister Kovacevski, walked around the shopping center.
., . .. ..
