Balkan News

The European Commission (EC) published interim progress reports Friday (February 18th) on Bulgaria and Romania in the field of judiciary and interior affairs within the so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism. The reports conclude that the two countries have made progress in judicial reform and fighting corruption but must make more …

Acting President Jakup Krasniqi asked Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Hashim Thaci to form the new government Friday (February 18th). The PDK finished first in the December 12th snap parliamentary

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Belgrade in March, local media reported on Saturday (February 19th), quoting unnamed sources close to the Serbian government. Putin’s last such visit was in 2001 when he was president. According to Blic daily, the visit will take place on March 23rd. Putin is …

The special prosecutor’s office has charged two former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters with war crimes committed against civilians in a camp in Albania, local media reported on Saturday (February 19th). The two, Haki Hajdari and Sali Rexhepi, allegedly participated in the activity in 1999. Two former Kosovo Albanian commanders, …

Cypriot reunification was among the main topics discussed by Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas during his meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday (February 18th) in New York. “We want to

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele says Serbia has the capacity to progress quickly in the EU integration process. In an interview with Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti on Saturday (February 19th), he

The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) Commander Erhard Buehler has said that KFOR will complete its restructuring in a few days. This will leave it with 5,000 troops on the field.

Croatia’s EU membership negotiations could be completed in the first half of 2011 provided Zagreb pushes ahead with reform, according to a resolution adopted by Parliament on Wednesday. Yet the biggest challenge may be “selling” the benefits of EU membership to a sceptical Croatian population, the EP press service announced.

The United Nations Security Council will today discuss Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s new report on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia will be represented at the session by its foreign minister, Vuk Jeremić.

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković has said that a government reshuffle would begin after an assessment of the work of all ministers. He stressed that the current year, as the last of the incumbent government’s term, was crucial for European integration and emergence from crisis, which is why 2011 should …