HOLLAND The new EU member states Romania and Bulgaria are still doing too little to tackle corruption and organised crime, and their management of EU funds is still below par, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes. The government will continue to press for improvements in both countries at European …

ROMANIA The Romanian government is engaged in intensive lobbying as it looks to snare a key European Commission post for the country’s former agriculture minister. Dacian Ciolos is Bucharest’s candidate for the post of EU Agriculture Commissioner, President Traian Basescu confirmed on Wednesday.Basescu stressed that Romania is willing to accept …

SERBIA EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has given his backing to the EU rule of law mission, EULEX, to sign a policing protocol with Serbia. The EULEX-Serbia protocol was delayed because of the opposition of the Kosovo government. The latter argues the agreement violated Kosovo’s constitution. The protocol, to …

SERBIA Serbian President Boris Tadic is launching a diplomatic and business offensive in Libya, in an effort to renew the previously strong ties between the two states. During his stay in Tripoli, which is timed to coincide with celebrations marking the fortieth anniversary of the Libyan revolution, Tadic is to …

MACEDONIA As of Tuesday, Macedonian citizens living abroad are entitled to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections, the Justice Ministry announced. The decision, made in accordance with the Electoral Code, applies to all who have Macedonian citizenship and are working or staying abroad on a temporary basis. The ministry argues …

BiH Hrvatska stranka prava (HSP) Đapić – dr Jurišić spremna je za ulazak u Vladu FBiH umjesto HDZ BiH, potvrdio je to jučer predsjednik ove stranke Zvonko Jurišić nakon sastanka čelnika HSP i SDA u Sarajevu. “Spremni smo ući u Vladu FBiH iako to možda nije najzahvalnije s obzirom na …

KOSOVO Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci says that the provincial government will continue to allocate funds for all those wishing to return to their homes in northern KM. Kosovo media report that Thaci said that the government would cooperate with “all the relevant factors“ so that reconstruction of houses in that …

HOLLAND The Hague Tribunal says Radovan Karadžić’s motion to have his sentence reduced or to receive damages for his “illegal arrest in Serbia” last year is too early. Karadžić is accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against Muslims and Croats and of taking international hostages during the war in …

SERBIA IMF representatives are set to end talks with Serbian officials on Tuesday on the second revision of the standby arrangement of €2.9 billion. The two sides are to hold a press conference today to announce the results of the agreement on Serbia’s economic policy for 2009 and 2010. So …

ALBANIA Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha slammed opposition’s decision to boycott parliament, saying it aims to hurt visa liberalization for Albania. The statement came after the opposition Socialist Party decided to boycott the constitutive session of parliament, blaming the government of election fraud. Berisha said the main objective of Socialists’ …