Balkan News

Greek socialist leader George Papandreou was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday and was expected to announce within hours a leaner cabinet focused on taking Greece out of an economic crisis. With his hand on the Bible, the PASOK leader was sworn in by Greece’s archbishop Ieronymos in a …

The chief of the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, Peter Feith said that the EU planned to strengthen its presence in Northern Kosovo, Serbian B92 radio reports. He noted that the number of EULEX officials would be increased and a commission would be set up to better notify the citizens …

The Presevo Valley should be a separate region inside Serbia, since existing administrative divisions do not protect minority rights, the president of Bujanovac municipality, Shaip Kamberi, tells daily Politika. “Even though the Serbian government disagrees, we consider that a region, which would recognise language, religious and other diversity, would be …

The International Steering Group for Kosovo, ISG, has praised the work done by the Kosovo government but says much more needs to be done. The ninth meeting of the group was chaired by the EU representative for Kosovo, Pieter Feith, who commended the authorities for their efforts to demarcate the …

Albania’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha arrived in Pristina today for a two-day visit, his first since Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Berisha will meet Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, President Fatmir Sejdiu, Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi and other political party heads, as well as leading business figures.

Their countries’ strong bilateral ties will be further enhanced by the upcoming visit to Belgrade of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, the Serbian and Russian foreign ministers say. Serbia’s Vuk Jeremic and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov agreed in Moscow that mutual relations have never been better.

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić is in Moscow making final preparations for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s Belgrade visit. Jeremić, who is on a working visit, will be meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and officials of Medvedev’s administration. Before heading for Moscow, Jeremić said that Belgrade officials expect that Medvedev’s …

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski will be heading to Slovakia on Monday for talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Gruevski spearheads the government’s delegation which includes Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Vasko Naumovski, Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska and the Foreign Investments Agency Director Viktor Mizo.

Serbian government is set to file a counter-lawsuit to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Croatia alleging genocide during 1991-95 war. Serbia will sue Croatia for war crimes and ethnic cleansing committed against the Serb minority during the 1991-95 war in Croatia. The government and expert team representing Serbia …

Russia is ready to extend a credit to Serbia and considers giving a loan to Bulgaria, Russian Deputy PM and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told journalists after a meeting with the finance ministers of the two countries in Istanbul where the IMF and World Bank hold an annual session.