Monthly Archives: April 2009

UNMIK’s Zannier says six-point plan on Kosovo is being implemented

PRISTINA, Kosovo UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier said on Wednesday (April 22nd) that he sees elements of the six-point plan for Kosovo being implemented by the country’s institutions. The plan, proposed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and approved by the UN Security Council in October, gives more competencies to the Serb …

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Karadzic says he has document proving existence of Holbrooke agreement

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic says the United States has provided him with a document proving he signed an agreement in 1996 with the US envoy in the Balkans at that time, Richard Holbrooke, guaranteeing him immunity before The Hague war crimes tribunal in exchange …

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Hague tribunal still waiting for Croatia’s documents on Operation Storm

ZAGREB, Croatia Prosecutors at The Hague war crimes tribunal have not received documents on the use of artillery by Croatian forces during their effort to regain control of the Krajina region as part of the 1995 Operation Storm, tribunal spokeswoman Olga Kavran said on Wednesday (April 22nd).

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Albanian judicial institutions report to EU diplomats

TIRANA, Albania Diplomats from the EU’s 27 member states heard briefings in Tirana on Wednesday (April 22nd) on the work of judicial institutions related to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU and preparations for the country’s 2009 progress report. The diplomats met with chief prosecutor Ina Rama, as …

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Georgia to practice army interoperability in NATO drills: official

MOSCOW, April 24 The upcoming NATO military drills in Georgia will help increase the Georgian army’s combat preparedness and interoperability with the alliance, Deputy Prime Minister Georgi Baramidze said Friday. “These will be mainly command post exercises. Of course, hardware will be used, but not tanks or long-range artillery,” Russia’s …

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Georgian protesters interrupt president Saakashvili’s dinner

TBILISI, April 24 A crowd of opposition activists gathered outside a restaurant where President Mikheil Saakashvili was eating, forcing him to abandon his dinner, as protests continued on the streets of Tbilisi. The incident on Thursday evening came hours after opposition leaders pledged to block the president’s movements in the …

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EU foreign policy chief to visit Moldova

CHISINAU, April 24 The EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will arrive in Moldova on Friday as part of a working visit following the recent riots in the country, a spokesman for Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said. During the visit, Solana is scheduled to meet with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin to …

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Romania criticises Brussels for ‘business as usual’ on Moldova

Romania yesterday criticised the European Union’s policy towards Moldova, calling for a tougher line on human rights abuses arising from the crisis-hit country’s recent political turmoil. Cristian Diaconescu, foreign minister, said there should be no talk of “business as usual” with Moldova while it was infringing EU values and so …

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Romania’s former king endorses his son-in-law in nation’s next presidential election

BUCHAREST, Romania Former King Michael of Romania took the unusual step on Thursday of endorsing his son-in-law as a candidate in the country’s next presidential election. In a speech from Elizabeth Palace, Michael acknowledged that supporting a relative for public office was not a “normal thing for a member of …

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Bulgaria European Minister Supports Macedonia EU Efforts

Bulgaria European Affairs Minister, Gergana Passy, has voiced her support for Macedonia’s EU integration. Passy said that Bulgaria is ready to help Macedonia on its Euro-integration path and considers that Macedonian authorities have made significant progress in this regard, after Wednesday’s meeting with Macedonian Deputy PM and European Affairs Minister …

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