United States president Barack Obama has named James Warwick to be the next US ambassador in Sofia, Bulgarian news agency Focus said on October 2 2009. However, on October 2 there were no statements about the nomination on the websites of the White House or the US senate.

Bulgaria’s Cabinet was considering seeking a 1 billion euro loan from the World Bank under the Government Priorities funding budget, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Rosen Plevneliev said. The new credit would add to the 1 billion euro the country was seeking from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc has taken the post of chargé d’affaires ad interim of education minister, media informed. Minister of Tourism Elena Udrea heads the Ministry of Environment, communications minister Gabriel Sandu was elected Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Business Environment; economy minister Adrian Videanu will …

Three former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, have been found guilty of conducting a torture campaign at a prison camp in the remote Kosovo hills. Latif Gashi, Nazif Mehmeti and Rrustem Mustafa were convicted on Friday of war crimes committed during the conflict in Kosovo.

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.