Balkan News

European Council President-designate Herman van Rompuy will pay a brief working visit to Bulgaria on December 14 2009, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov told journalists in Brussels.

Serbian President Boris Tadic said Croatia’s defence of Kosovo’s independence in front of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, are harming relations between the two neighbours. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the Palic lake, Tadic said that Croatia’s arguments at the court amount to interference in Belgrade’s …

As the departure date for international judges and prosecutors working in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state court approaches, pressure is growing on the High Representative’s Office to make a decision on whether to extend their stay. Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, and Nebojsa Radmanovic, the Serb member of the …

Electing Rumiana Jeleva to the position of Vice-President of the European People’s Party (EPP) was a mistake, according to statements made by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin. He has spoken out on Friday, criticizing Jeleva’s appointment because she is also a candidate for a post as commissioner. He added that the …

Serbia is getting mixed signals from EU countries on when to formally apply for membership, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić told Reuters in New York. He also added that “a decision soon will be made soon”. Jeremić said that EU membership was Serbia’s “central strategic priority”.

Macedonia and Italy will sign the third program on bilateral cooperation in the field of culture, education and science for the period from 2009 to 2012. The document will be signed this afternoon in Skopje by Macedonia Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska and the Italian Ambassador in Macedonia.

Vietnam and Venezuela are the last two countries to present their arguments to the court on Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia. The process was taken by Serbia to the International Court of Justice.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrives on Friday on a two-day official visit to Montenegro. Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic and Gul are to meet in the Cetinje residence and then they will hold a press conference. A business delegation of some 100 members will arrive with the Turkish President to attend …

Serbian officials are discussing when would be the most opportune moment to submit an application for EU candidacy. Despite the many statements by state officials that Serbia will submit its application by the year’s end, the country’s Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic now says that such a decision has not been …

EU foreign ministers’ conclusion Tuesday is not the same as last year’s NATO conclusion in Bucharest regarding the country’s entry into the Alliance, the EU’s top ambassador to Skopje told media. He said the decision by foreign ministers to revisit the question of whether to give Macedonia a start date …