Balkan News

Albanian parties reached an agreement on Wednesday as the mandate of the parliamentary commission tasked with improving the electoral code was due to expire.The agreement covers a series of divisive issues, including the re-election of the members of the Central Electoral Commission, CEC, the use of technology in the electoral …

The percentage of unemployment among men of working age in the EU is highest in Bulgaria, Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, says.The share of unemployed men in Bulgaria is 25 per cent, followed by Romania at 13.5 per cent and Hungary at 11.7 per cent. Data of Bulgaria’s …

Head of the EU delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina Peter Sorensen says that he hopes the RECOM initiative will help reconciliation in the Balkans.Following the meeting with the advocates of the Coalition for Reconciliation Commission, RECOM, Sorensen said that he commends all civil society organizations that pursue reconciliation in the …

Close to hundred people gathered on the central square of the Serbian capital in order to pay homage to those killed in Srebrenica in 1995.A performance called “We will never forget the genocide in Srebrenica” was organized on Tuesday evening by the Serbian NGO Women in Black. “We believe that …

Croatian parliament, the Sabor, paid tribute to the Srebrenica victims on Tuesday with a minute of silence and a speech by a representative of Bosniak community in Croatia.”The Srebrenica tragedy is a warning from history, and we have to cry: ‘Never again'”, said Josip Leko, the vice speaker of parliament, …

Serbian President says he doesn’t expect to be ‘President in Pristina’ – but authorities in Pristina should not expect to regain control of the Serb-run north of Kosovo either.Serbia’s new President, Tomislav Nikolic, on Tuesday conceded that Serbia was unlikely to rule the mainly Albanian ex-province of Kosovo, which declared …

Higher Prosecutor’s Office indicts 12 people for setting the US embassy in Belgrade on fire during Belgrade riots of 2008.Vlado Djordjevic, head of the state public prosecutor’s office, said the Higher Prosecutor’s Office has issued an indictment against 12 people for setting the US embassy in Belgrade on fire in …

Macedonia should complete its long-awaited rail link to the Bulgarian border by 2022, after beginning work in 2013, the Transport Minister said.Minister Mile Janakieski said the country plans to start building the first section of the railway towards the eastern border by March 2013. He said that talks with the …

Athens has yet to respond to Macedonia’s request for intensified bilateral cooperation and a declaration of friendship.Athens has yet to issue any official response after Macedonia at the weekend proposed a set of bilateral agreements with Greece to be crowned by a declaration of friendship and cooperation. But, off the …

After private meeting with Church leader, President says he remains open to dialogue with leaders of breakaway Kosovo.Tomislav Nikolic, Serbia’s new President, met with Patriarch Irinej, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, on Monday to discuss the Kosovo issue. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Nikolic said he remained open …