The Pentagon is spending more than $100 million to build new military bases in Bulgaria and Romania after Obama’s administration scrapped plans for missile-defense shield in eastern Europe. “Both of these bases illustrate great commitment to eastern Europe,” said Col. Gary Russ, Commander of Joint Task Force-East said.

Italian ambassador to Kosovo Michael Giffoni was officially appointed as EU representative for Northern Kosovo. At his new post, Giffoni’s will focus mainly on increasing of the EU activities in the part of Kosovo where the Serbs comprise majority of the population.

Serbia hopes to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) next year, the country’s economy ministry said. Vesna Arsic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, said it is realistic to expect that Serbia will join the WTO in 2010 if it completes the negotiations for admission into the organization by …

Turkey, Italy and Russia are set to sign a MoU on Samsun-Ceyhan petroleum pipeline. Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız arrived Monday in Milano where he will be signing the MoU on behalf of Turkey. Yıldız was welcomed by Italian Economy Minister Claudio Scajola and Russian Deputy Premier Igor Ivanovich Sechin.

U.S Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Vershbow will participate in a meeting of the working group on security on October 20, Georgian foreign minister Alexander Nalbandov said at a traditional briefing on October 19.

Today, on Oct. 19, in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, the Ergenti village will host the next meeting of the working group comprising representatives of the South Ossetia and Georgia under the OSCE mediation within the Geneva format. This meeting is dedicated to prevent tension in the region.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived in Bucharest on Sunday to start his official visit to Romania after he concluded a visit to Hungary. In a written statement upon his arrival at the airport, Xi said China and Romania have enjoyed long-term friendship, and they have enhanced political trust, cooperation …

Three former envoys to Bosnia have issued a joint statement critiquing the latest EU-US effort to end the country’s political crisis and proposing a new international approach. The statement was issued by Wolfgang Petritsch, Paddy Ashdown and Christian Schwarz-Schilling, who served as high representatives to Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1999 …

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic says that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Serbia on Tuesday is historically significant for both countries. The visit will see the joint celebration of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade during World War II and the signing of a number of …

Macedonia and Kosovo have established full diplomatic ties by deciding to exchange ambassadors, both countries’ foreign ministries confirmed in Sunday press releases. The US and EU have praised the move, while Serbia, which strongly opposes Kosovo’s independence declaration, protested. The agreement was inked by Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and …