USAID Receives $27.5 Million From Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund
On November 24, 2008, the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund (BAEF) presented a ceremonial check for $27.5 million dollars to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This money represents part of the earnings from the BAEF investment activities in Bulgaria over the past 17 years. This money will be returned to the U.S. Treasury on behalf of the American people.
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| Wine is the second biggest export
from Macedonia as more and
more wineries improve the quality
and distribution of their wines;
above, the St Jovan Kaneo
Orthodox Church in Ohrid |
As part of its mission to strengthen Macedonia’s economy and improve the competitiveness of exported products on regional and world markets, USAID’s Agribusiness Program (AgBiz) participated in organizing “Vino-Skop 2008,” a four-day wine trade fair in Skopje’s main square.
This modestly-sized trade fair brought together wineries, wine experts, visitors, and journalists and provided great exposure for consumers from Macedonia and across the region interested in Macedonian wines. To support the event, AgBiz secured international experts for a wine judging panel, assured the judging process proceeded in a transparent manner, and monitored the results. The program also worked with the sponsors, winery participants and the judges to identify specific next steps for developing a joint United Kingdom wine export program.
Three internationally respected wine tasters served as the judges: Kevin Moore from Harpers Wine and Spirits magazine, judging for Harpers Choice (weekly) and for the Independent Retail News magazine; Darrel Joseph, judge of international competitions including the Decanter World Wide Awards and the International Wine Challenge in London and a freelance wine journalist and contributor to wine publications such as Harpers and Decanter in Great Britain and other magazines in Austria, and; Dr. Bernard Kozina, wine judge and professor of oenology and viticulture from the Wine Institute in Zagreb.
After the fair, Joseph penned an article published in the December 12, 2008 issue of Harpers, one of the most respected wine magazines in Europe. The story, titled “When it Comes to Quality, Size Doesn’t Matter,” summarized his very positive impressions of Macedonian wines by stating that “tiny Macedonia is starting to turn heads in the UK by producing quality wines, and is gaining international attention for its diversity.”
This type of positive international publicity is a giant step forward in support of the market entry efforts of Macedonian wineries focused on penetrating the UK market and provides a benchmark for gaining credibility for Macedonian wines.
Click here for a PDF version of “When it Comes to Quality, Size Doesn’t Matter” published in the December 12, 2008 issue of Harpers.
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