The construction of Zletovica hystro-system completed its first stage. The Euro 100-million investment solves the water supply problem in six municipalities in east Macedonia.

The dam was inaugurated Saturday at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Deputy PM and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski, Agriculture Minister Ljupco Dimovski and Transport Ministers Mile Janakieski.

The 75-meter high dam has a base that is 300 meters wide and 4-kilometer accumulation with a capacity to accumulate 23.500.000 m³. 70 million euros have been provided through a loan by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the government has singled out 25 million.

By completing the first stage of the construction of Zletovica hydro-system, the water supplying problem of six municipalities in eastern Macedonia, including Stip, Sveti Nikole, Lozovo, Karbinci, Kratovo and Probistip, is solved.

"Since 2007, there are intensive activities to build the dam and the entire system as soon as possible. This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest investment in east Macedonia in the past 20 years. The capital project and the completion of the first stage of Zletovica hydro-system permanently solves the issue of supplying water in the region," PM Gruevski said.

He added that conditions had been enabled to kick off the second stage envisaging construction of an irrigation system for agricultural land in the region. The third and final stage involves energy production in a bid to boost the region's energy potential.

"This project is a proof that if there is willingness and initiative, determination and commitment, as well as constructive collaboration between central and local authorities, even the most complex projects can become reality," PM Gruevski stressed.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Dimovski said, remains firm to its commitment to build new water management facilities in order to irrigate as many agricultural areas as possible in the future.