Balkan News

BELGIUM The European Commission announced Monday that it was to unblock millions of euros in agriculture funds for Bulgaria which had been frozen over concerns about fraud, AFP reports. The move to open up the so-called SAPARD funds came after EU member Bulgaria implemented an action plan to address concerns …

GREECE Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has kicked off his campaign to win against the odds in a October 4 snap election by promising painful spending cuts, in the teeth of union opposition. In an annual economic keynote speech, the outgoing conservative leader vowed that if he won his third …

ALBANIA The head of the Republican Party, former defence minister Fatmir Mediu, indicted on abuse of power charges over a deadly munitions depot blast on March 15, 2008, is to head the Environment Ministry. In a coalition deal announced by Prime Minister Sali Berisha today, the Republican Party, which returned …

BiH The current “very negative” political situation and stagnation of key reforms threaten to delay the closure of the Office of the High Representative, OHR, and move Bosnia away from EU and NATO membership, a senior US diplomat said. “What is especially frustrating is that we believe that, for most …

KOSOVO Nobel laureate Marti Ahtisaari has warned the EU that the failure of Balkan and EU states to recognise Kosovo stands as a bulwark against the bloc’s future expansion. “Those countries that have been in conflict in the past have to be able to see the reality, and […] have …

KOSOVO The long-awaited statue of former President Bill Clinton will be unveiled in Pristina at the end of month, the team behind the tribute has said. Agim Rexhepi, head of the Friends of the USA asociation, which has previously hosted many events to show gratitude to the US for its …

ALBANIA Albanian opposition the Socialist Party said on Saturday that it will boycott the first session of the country’s new parliament set for Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. Opposition lawmakers met Saturday and called for an investigation into the conduct by the ruling Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha …

HOLLAND The prosecution hasn’t shown any serious intention to reduce the scope of this mega trial – Karadzic states in his letter to ICTY Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said on Friday that, due to large number of documents and testimonies he needs to read, he requires additional 14.171 …

CROATIA ‘Captain Dragan’, a man accused of war crimes, was released after three years spent in an Australian prison ‘Captain Dragan’, was released after three years spent in an Australian prison. Ivan Simonovic, Croatia’s Minister of Justice, plans to appeal against it. Dragan Vasiljkovic, better known as ‘Captain Dragan’, was …

SERBIA Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić has ordered a probe after the media reported that Montenegro’s candidate for ambassador to Serbia was “unwelcome”. The “urgent investigation” will include “everyone”: from his cabinet chief to the ministry’s human resources clerks, Belgrade daily Večenje Novosti writes. But the ministry officials were not available …