Leaders in Kosovo say they expect to forge ahead in the EU integration process early in 2013, as they are “at the final stage” of meeting the criteria to start negotiations on the first step, a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, SAA.The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, on Wednesday said that …

The initiative by Montenegro’s judges to ban public comments on non-final verdicts is largely seen as controversial and against the basic principles of open trials.The most recent proposal of the Association of Judges of Montenegro aims to forbid public comments on court decisions which are not final, Vijesti Television reported …

W ith an estimated 10 billion tons in geological reserves, coal is a vitally important part of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s economy. Besides supplying local industrial facilities such as steel mills, state mines also fuel all the country’s power plants. More than 80 percent of the country’s coal is taken from open-pit mines …

Serbian police have detained Miroslav Miskovic, his son Marko and eight other persons on suspicion of corruption.Serbian police on Wednesday arrested the owner of Delta Holding, Miroslav Miskovic, and nine other persons on suspicion of abuses during privatization of road construction and maintenance companies. The suspects include his son, Marko, …

Greece found an ally in Bulgaria in preventing Macedonia from obtaining a start date for EU accession talks at a Tuesday’s EU meeting in Brussels.At the EU meeting, where Macedonia had been hoping to obtain a start date for membership talks, Greece justified its blockade once more on the grounds …

Cold claimed ten lives in the Balkans, while heavy snowfall has disrupted traffic throughout the region.In Serbia, the fifth victim of freezing temperatures was buried on Tuesday. Since the cold wave hit the Balkans at the weekend, ten people have died in Serbia and Croatia. Although most roads in Serbia …

Kosovo’s Supreme Court has ordered a retrial against six defendants in the second part of the so-called Klecka case, the EU rule of law mission, EULEX announced.“The Supreme Court panel granted the appeal of the EULEX Special Prosecutor and annulled the verdict of the first instance court which had acquitted …

Svetozar Marovic, a veteran of Montenegrin politics, is replacing Milo Djukanovic as leader of the country’s ruling party now that the latter has again become Prime Minister.In an interview with Montenegro’s public broadcaster, RTCG, on Monday, Marovic said that he would take over leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of …

Kosovo wants the international community to put pressure on Belgrade to resolve the issue of people who when missing during 1998-1999 war.Kosovo’s Governmental Commission for Missing Persons urged the international institutions “to use their authority towards Belgrade” in order to “finally resolve the sensitive and painful issue of missing persons” …

Serbian NGOs have lambasted the government’s rights record in a report issued on world human rights day.Serbia has seen a negative trend in terms of the protection of human rights since the formation of the new government, Serbian NGOs said in a report released on world human rights day.