Balkan News

BULGARIA Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov assumed a calmer tone after his first statement about the tragedy in Ohrid. “We have wonderful relations with your prime minster. Yesterday, your foreign minister, together his Bulgarian counterpart, attended the ceremony of paying last respect to the victims. The 15 Bulgarian tourists died …

SERBIA Interior Minister Ivica Dačić and OSCE Mission Chief Hans Ola Urstad have signed an agreement on a strategic partnership and priorities in police reform. Dačić said that the agreement was important for visa liberalization, as the strategy it contains will enable the implementation of all the remaining criteria from …

SERBIA, KOSOVO The EU supports the signing of an agreement on technical cooperation between EULEX and Belgrade, and is now explaining the benefits of the deal to Priština. EU sources told Beta in Brussels today that this was the thrust of EULEX official Karin Lindahl’s statement, who stressed that the …

KOSOVO In a ceremony held at KFOR HQ in Priština on Tuesday, German General Markus Bentler took over as commander of the NATO-led force in Kosovo. He replaced Italian General Giuseppe Emilio Gay. The outgoing commander said that a gradual reduction of NATO members would not mean the end of …

ALBANIA Fatmir Sejdiu has promised the families of missing Albanians that he will use his authority to order the identification of human remains as soon as possible. The Kosovo president is the first provincial official to visit the mothers of missing persons, who have been striking in front of the …

SERBIA The Special Court in Belgrade has sentenced four Wahhabi to a total of 27 years in prison. Adis Murić and Bajram Aslani were sentenced to eight years, Nedžad Bulić to seven, and Enes Mujanović to four years. The group was accused of criminal association with a view to unconstitutional …

BULGARIA Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov expressed concern about what he called the lack of competence that the new Cabinet and Prime Minister Boiko Borissov have shown about the country’s energy policy and asked Borissov to take a firm stand when dealing with Russia and energy giant Gazprom. In an article …

BULGARIA SAPARD program would be part of the talks at high level between Bulgarian Prime Minister (PM) Boyko Borisov and the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. Thus political trust, which Bulgaria has expected, would come from the highest level, European Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva said.

BULGARIA We need succession in the energy strategy and policy of Bulgaria, , reads an article by President Georgi Parvanov titled “Energy Strategy and Policy Needs Pragmatism and Leadership”.

HOLLAND Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic could go on trial as early as October 19 for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the pre-trial judge of the tribunal overseeing his case said on Tuesday. Karadzic, the most prominent figure being prosecuted for crimes during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, asked …