Balkan News

Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas visited Serbs returnees in village of Novake near Prizren on Tuesday. He presented them with a van for transporting people and goods, donated by the city. Đilas told the returnees that Belgrade would always offer support to people who choose to return to their homes in …

In its Wednesday meeting, the European Commission is expected to give its approval of the recommendation for lifting the visa regime for citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but there are many more steps to be taken before the countries’ citizens can travel freely in Europe without a visa.

After long consultations with Brussels Eulex decided to ban all unapproved visits to Kosovo made by Serbian officials, Pristina’s agencies said. Pristina daily “Koha Ditore” said that yesterday’s day was marked with a record

The prosecution at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has asked for permission to reopen the trial of six former Bosnian Croat leaders, including Jadranko Prlic, due to possession of new evidence.

UN war crimes tribunal chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz kicks off a visit to Croatia on Tuesday (May 25th), where he will discuss the country’s co-operation with the court. He will meet with President Ivo Josipovic. On Thursday and Friday, Brammertz participates in a regional conference of prosecutors in Brijuni. Next …

Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said on Monday (May 24th) that any possible rejection of the arbitration agreement with Croatia during a June 6th public referendum in Slovenia will not affect Zagreb’s EU membership bid. In an interview with daily Delo, Zbogar pointed out that Croatia continued accession negotiations even …

US Ambassador to Tirana John Withers said on Monday (May 24th) that Albania is in a government crisis, not a political one. Albania faces “problems that affect the welfare of the people, and disagreements have stopped the functioning of the system to help the citizens”, Withers said at an open …

EULEX officials said on Monday (May 24th) they were not informed in advance of Serbian politician Vojislav Kostunica’s Sunday campaign trip to northern Kosovo. EULEX spokeswoman Kristiina Herodes was responding to criticism from Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi who accused the mission of failing to react. EU Special Representative Office spokeswoman …

Bosnian Presidency Chairman Haris Silajdžić’s cabinet has stated that his visit to Belgrade scheduled for Tuesday had to be canceled.

Reforms in Bosnia remain stalled due to internal divisions, with Bosnian Serbs growing increasingly defiant of the international community and undermining the peace agreement which ended the country’s 1992-95 war, Bosnia’s top international envoy told the United Nations Security Council on Monday.