Monthly Archives: July 2009

Bulgaria will have new cabinet by July 27, Borissov says

The new cabinet will be formed by July 27 2009, prime minister-to-be Boiko Borissov told reporters on July 9 2009, Bulgarian news agency Focus said. President Georgi Purvanov will convene the newly-elected Parliament on July 14 2009, after which he will designate the leader of the party who won the …

Read More »

EC’s expected position on SAPARD funds should not be bound with election result: Deputy PM

SOFIA Responding to the statements published in the media concerning SAPARD program, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of EU funds management Meglena Plugchieva said that she expected the European Commission would announce its decision on the SAPARD funds before the summer holiday, the office of the deputy prime minister announced.

Read More »

EU to Lift Visas on Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro

The European Commission will propose lifting visa restrictions on three Western Balkans states – Macedonia, Serbia and Montengro – the Justice Commissioner confirmed Friday. “A proposal will be made next Tuesday in Strasbourg to liberalize visas for nationals of the Western Balkans,” Jacques Barrot said in Brussels. “Under this proposal, …

Read More »

Macedonia To Verify Govt Reshuffle Friday

The reshuffling of the Macedonian government led by centre-right Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski will be verified in Parliament on Friday. Parliamentary Speaker Trajko Veljanoski expressly set the session for the dismissal and appointment of ministers after several members of Gruevski’s team on Wednesday resigned and one was dismissed in what …

Read More »

Macedonia State Gifts ‘Unconstitutional’

Government donations of state-owned land to the country’s two leading religious communities to erect a church and a mosque in Skopje will fail in the Constitutional Court, law experts warn. The move represents an attempt to indirectly finance religious communities and contradicts the secular character of the state, they say.

Read More »

Macedonia Keeps “Name” Referendum Plans

Macedonian top officials late Wednesday held a meeting to discuss the latest talks with the UN “name” row mediator Matthew Nimetz, reiterating that any possible compromise with Greece over Macedonia’s name would have to be supported by the public. The meeting, summoned by Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, was attended by …

Read More »

Karadzic Motion To Drop Charges Denied

The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, yesterday rejected a motion from former Bosnian Serb leader and war crimes indictee Radovan Karadzic to drop war crimes charges against him. The Tribunal determined that regardless whether there was an agreement for immunity from prosecution for Radovan Karadzic, such …

Read More »

Croatian President: Radical Cuts Needed

Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in an interview on Croatian Television, HRT, Tuesday evening, that the program of new Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor cabinet should be modernized and that it will only survive if it makes some drastic cuts. “Things that have been said in parliament and things that the …

Read More »