Yearly Archives: 2009

Serbia: Ethnic Albanians Seek “Presevo Valley Region”

Ethnic Albanian officials in southern Serbia have launched a new initiative for the formation of a separate region in the Presevo Valley with its own institutions and organs. The proposal was raised in the assembly of the Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac municipalities and envisages the creation of an ethnic Albanian-led …

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Bosnia: Foreign Judges, OHR “Not Wanted”

The ruling party in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska entity has called for foreign judges and prosecutors to be removed from the country’s judicial system and for the closure of the Office of the High Representative, OHR. In a Sunday press statement, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, alleged that Bosnia’s …

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EU urges Moldova to make ‘speedy’ coalition

BRUSSELS The EU has joined the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in praising the conduct of Moldova’s elections, while calling for a quick coalition deal. “I welcome the conduct of the repeated parliamentary elections …the electorate has given its verdict,” EU foreign relations chief Javier Solana said.

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Balkan Opinions Reflect EU “Enlargement Fatigue”

Internal problems within the EU and enlargement fatigue are having an effect on opinions in Balkan countries, a survey shows. The survey, conducted by the Gallup Balkan Monitor, shows that EU membership remains a high priority for most Balkan residents. Yet, in most countries respondents feel that the EU welcome …

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Moldovan communists win election but lose majority in parliament

Moldova’s Communist Party took lead in the snap parliamentary elections on Wednesday, but lost the majority it held for eight years in Parliament to a group of pro-western opposition parties, showed the final preliminary results announced on Friday by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). According to CEC President Eugen Stirbu, …

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Gay marriages, Muslim Community Responds: Violations of morality

TIRANA, Albania The Muslim community has expressed today against homosexual marriages, while the bill is drafted to a serious breach of morality, which conflict with the Albanian traditions. Law drafters for the people, stated that article made marriage for men asked Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who gave the ‘bomb’ news …

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Bosnia: IMF garage sale

Bosnia’s Federation government starts auctioning off luxury cars in a meager attempt to meet IMF savings demands. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 8 July approved a previously halted €1.2 billion stand-by arrangement ($1.7 billion) with Bosnia and Herzegovina, designed to ease the effects of the global financial crisis, but …

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Srebrenica: New Mass Graves Suspected

There are indications that at least two new mass graves are located in the grounds of the former UN peacekeepers’ base in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, local media reported on Friday. The information about the possible mass graves was revealed at the time of the 14th commemoration of the …

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Bulgarian PM Shy on Presidency Calls

Addressing growing calls for a presidential republic, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov refused to say whether this would prompt him to seek the job, the Novinite news agency reports. Borisov was non-committal in addressing an ongoing campaign by former president Zhelyu Zhelev to transform the Bulgarian political system into a …

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