ANKARA, Turkey A court ruled on Monday (May 18th) that President Abdullah Gul should stand trial in a fraud case involving missing party funds, despite his immunity as a head of state. The alleged fraud case dates back to the late 1990s, when the Welfare Party, a predecessor of the …

NICOSIA, Cyprus The new government in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus won a confidence vote in parliament Monday (May 18th), media reported. The government won support from 26 of the 50 lawmakers, while 23 voted “against”, allowing the National Unity Party’s (UBP) cabinet to formally assume office.

BRUSSELS, Belgium The EU reiterated on Monday (May 18th) that Albania must ensure free and fair parliamentary elections in June in line with international standards, to boost its chances to receive EU candidate status.

ZAGREB, Croatia The government’s anti-crisis measures are not sufficient to address the challenges of the global economic crisis, President Stipe Mesic told Zagreb-based business daily Poslovni Dnevnik on Monday (May 18th). He noted that most of the moves seem to be prolonged, delaying implementation until after the local elections. Mesic …

GENEVA Georgia and Russia resumed security talks yesterday after mediators and a UN report helped nudge Moscow’s negotiators back to the table, officials said. All sides agreed to meet again on July 1 for talks intended to head off any further conflict in an area seen by the West as …

Thirty-two companies represented Turkey in an international construction fair in Georgia. Turkish companies manufacturing construction materials, window-door systems, bath-kitchen equipment, roof systems, paint and construction chemicals, joined the 14th International Fair for the Building and Interiors (Caucasus Build 2009) in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

France is ready to help Romania build a new nuclear power station, President Nicolas Sarkozy told his Romanian counterpart on Monday. Several European companies including France’s GDF Suez, Enel from Italy and E.ON from Germany have expressed an interest in the contract to build Romania’s second nuclear plant.

BUCHAREST Prince Akishino, the second son of Japanese Emperor Akihito, and his wife Princess Kiko arrived in Bucharest Tuesday for a visit to Romania, the last stop of a European tour, the Japanese Embassy said. The couple is to visit the Japanese School in Bucharest on Tuesday, before meeting Romanian …

SOFIA A few days ago Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev explained that the Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plugchieva was not included in the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s election ticket, since it would represent too great a loss for the Council of Ministers, if she were to become a Member of the European …

US Vice President Joseph Biden, on his second part of his three-day trip to the Balkans, said he had come to Belgrade to convey a message that Washington wants to improve relations with Serbia. After meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Biden said that “the U.S. wants to improve cooperation …