Balkan News

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic says that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Serbia on Tuesday is historically significant for both countries. The visit will see the joint celebration of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade during World War II and the signing of a number of …

Macedonia and Kosovo have established full diplomatic ties by deciding to exchange ambassadors, both countries’ foreign ministries confirmed in Sunday press releases. The US and EU have praised the move, while Serbia, which strongly opposes Kosovo’s independence declaration, protested. The agreement was inked by Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and …

Serbia will welcome Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday with a concert by 100 trumpeters in Belgrade’s Trg Republika Square. Medvedev will be accompanied by a circa 100-strong delegation of associates, ministers and significant businesspeople. The delegation will include: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Extraordinary Situations Minister Sergei Shoigy, Gazprom President …

Egypt and Croatia agreed to bolster cooperation over the weekend, according to a Croatian government communiqué, released to mark the visit of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to Zagreb. According to the statement, the sides “agreed to achieve closer cooperation” in the energy and tourism sectors, AFP reports.

UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier called for pragmatism at Thursday’s UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo. Zannier, who presented the UN secretary general’s report at the meeting, stated that greater participation by Serbs and other minorities in the local institutions could be useful and that it would increase the chances of …

A Kosovo Serb delegation will today hand President Boris Tadić a petition signed by 48,000 Serbs calling on EULEX to leave Kosovo. The deputy speaker of the Kosovo Serb assembly, Marko Jakšić, told B92 that EULEX did not belong in Kosovo because it was not neutral when it came to …

Kosovo’s foreign policy chief Skender Hyseni told the UN Security Council yesterday that the security situation in Kosovo was “stable and peaceful.” He also accused Belgrade of obstructing the integration of Serbs.

Bosnia-Herzegovina has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2010-2011, says UN General Assembly President Ali Treki. Brazil, Gabon, Liberia and Nigeria have also become non-permanent members.

The leaders of seven parliamentary parties from the Republic of Srpska will be meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadić in Belgrade on Friday. The RS politicians were invited to Belgrade ahead of the next meeting in Butmir between Bosnian politicians and American and EU officials. 

Macedonian prime minister hopes that Macedonian would receive a date for start of negotiations for membership in the European Union, now that the European Commission issued a recommendation for launch of the accession talks. In the letter sent to the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, PM Nikola …