The 8th Fair of Construction, Building Materials and Construction Mechanization was opened Tuesday at the Skopje Fair.

This year's fair, which will be held between March 1-5, focuses on ecology as current trend in construction, use of eco-materials and renewable energy sources, including about 300 exhibitors.

The fair has been enriched with two events - real estate and investment fair RealEX, organized by Dubai-based Leoron Group, and the Turkish Export Product Fair, organized by Meridien, in cooperation with the Macedonia-Turkey Chamber of Commerce (MATTO).

"Construction is one of the branches of Macedonia's economy that is a vital segment incorporating 20 other branches. Hence, the Macedonian government has focused and will be focusing its activities on construction," stressed Vice PM for Economic Affairs, Vladimir Pesevski opening the fair.

Construction companies expect to recover from the economic crisis in 2011. They have praised Government's measures (reducing VAT for apartments, increasing the number of construction works and facilitating administrative procedures), saying that they need to be applied in order to be seen whether the measures are functional.

Companies from Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Dubai, as well as banks, insurance companies and firms dealing with the real estate market are part of the real estate fair held under the motto "Now is the time to buy your new home".

The Turkish Export Product Fair was opened by Vice PM responsible for the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, Abdulaqim Ademi. "The Government will keep on supporting such initiatives contributing to advance the trade exchange and cooperation between Macedonia and Turkey," he said.

Approximately 55 Turkish companies in the field of construction, cosmetics, food and textile industry and tourism are taking part at the fair.