The Kosovo and Metohija Political Forum has been established in the town of Gracanica, ahead of Kosovo’s forthcoming local elections, to represent local Serbs. Broadcaster B92 reports that the forum was created at the initiative of 50 Gracanica residents, and neighbouring villages, in order to unite Kosovo Serbs. The leader …

Albanian Foreign Affairs Minister Ilir Meta, has said that the EU rule of law mission, EULEX, is vital in strengthening Kosovo’s institutions. “EULEX will help bring European standards to Kosovo’s institutions, especially [in moving] towards a government based on the rule of law” Meta said during a meeting with ethnic …

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor could soon receive an invitation for an official meeting with US President Barack Obama at the White House. Daily Vecernji list reports that Croatian and American diplomats are working intensively on setting up the Kosor-Obama summit. Should it take place, Kosor would be the first …

Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to Vlad Filat congratulating him on appointment as Prime Minister. Putin wrote that Russian-Moldovan relations are based on ancient traditions of friendship and mutual respect. He expressed confidence their further comprehensive development meets the vital interests of both peoples.

NATO supports Moldova in its its efforts to remove the Russian troops from its territory, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO Robert Simmons said in a video conference on September 30. This is the position of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Moldova should maintain its stance as regards the …

The Bulgarian Cabinet has approved a three-year plan for mutual assistance and co-operation between the Bulgarian Health Ministry and its Chinese counterpart, a Government media statement said.

There is no possibility for radical Islam to flourish in the country, according to Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolai Mladenov, as quoted by the Bulgarian National Television on September 30 2009. Mladenov is in Gotheburg Sweden, at the EU defence ministers conference, where one of the paramount topics earmarked for discussion …

An independent report blamed Georgia on Wednesday for starting last year’s five-day war with Russia, but said Moscow’s military response went beyond reasonable limits and violated international law. The report commissioned by the European Union said both sides had broken international humanitarian laws and found evidence of ethnic cleansing against …

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says that Serbia will see in the next couple of weeks how successful it was in preventing further states from recognising Kosovo. In an interview with daily Danas, Jeremic said that the Serbian delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York had held meetings …

The presidency of the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts, MASA, decided on Wednesday to withdraw its controversial Macedonian encyclopaedia. The editors of the encyclopaedia were ordered to revise and correct the passages in the book that refer to Macedonian-Albanian relations, Albanians in Macedonia, the former head of the 2001 …