PRISTINA, Kosovo The government is asking the OSCE mission to help organise local elections this autumn, Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci said in a press conference Wednesday (June 10th) after meeting with OSCE chief Werner Almhofer. “The Kosovo government invites the OSCE to work together, to have full co-operation,” he …

President Saakashvili said Tbilisi was in “intensive consultations” with its western allies not to allow the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution, which would not make a reference to Georgia’s territorial integrity. The UN Security Council’s new Abkhaz resolution is expected by June 15, when the current four-month mandate …

NATO Defence Ministers agreed yesterday in Brussels to reduce the KFOR troop presence in Kosovo, taking into account the steady improvement of the security situation there. “The decision to gradually reduce troop numbers will reflect this [security situation] development,” reads a report issued by NATO headquarters.

The Bosnian Serb leadership has delivered another blow to the waning international presence in Bosnia, by ignoring a western ultimatum and deadline to abolish a disputed Assembly declaration, media reported on Friday. The Assembly of the Serb-dominated Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska by Thursday evening failed to discuss the demand …

A concluding meeting between Serbian officials and the European Commission will take place today in Brussels before any decision can be made on abolishing the visa regime for Serbian citizens traveling to EU countries. Officials will study the EC report on Serbia to determine whether the country has met the …

PODGORICA, Montenegro Democratic Party of Socialists leader Milo Djukanovic presented his new government and its programme to parliament Tuesday (June 9th), citing European and Euro-Atlantic integration as top priorities.

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Milorad Dodik on Tuesday (June 9th) rejected calls by High Representative Valentin Inzko for the RS parliament to withdraw its resolution on transferring powers from the entity to BiH.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands The long-delayed trial against two former senior Serb security chiefs resumed at the UN war crimes tribunal Tuesday (June 9th), a year after one defendant’s health forced an interruption of the trial.

ANKARA, Turkey The prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday (June 9th) it has asked the justice ministry to dismiss a fraud case against President Abdullah Gul, over missing party funds, media reported.

PARIS, France The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday (June 9th) ruled against Turkey for failing to protect a woman from domestic violence. The ECHR decided the state denied a citizen her “right to life” by failing to prevent her son-in-law from murdering her.