Balkan News

PRISTINA, Kosovo/BELGRADE, Serbia Kosovo submitted a second written statement on the legality of its independence declaration to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday (July 17th), Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said. He told reporters the documentation includes facts and arguments to counter claims that the move was in breach …

BELGRADE, Serbia The Hague war crimes tribunal (ICTY) is ready to co-operate with Serbian courts in handling war crimes trials, ICTY President Patrick Robinson said on Friday (July 17th) at the end of a two-day visit to Belgrade. He said the ICTY will seriously consider a proposal envisioning Serbian citizens …

SOFIA, Bulgaria The centre-right Blue Coalition and the conservative Order, Law, Justice Party (RZS) refused on Friday (July 17th) to sign a memorandum to support the minority government formed by the Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB). Blue Coalition leaders said the party won’t join the proposed political …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Prime Minister Nikola Spiric decided on Friday (July 17th) to dismiss Security Minister Tarik Sadovic, the government announced. Earlier this week, Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA) asked for Sadovic’s replacement after he refused to step down. The party sought the minister’s removal due to …

ATHENS, Greece A small anarchist group, calling itself Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, claimed responsibility on Friday (July 17th) for a bomb attack targeting former Deputy Interior Minister Panagiotis Hinofotis, media reported. A small homemade bomb exploded on July 11th outside Hinofotis’ home in the Athens district of Paleo Faliro. The …

There is no need to make urgent and hasty decisions although Macedonia will probably have to make one more budget cut by year’s end, the new finance minister said Sunday. “Our preliminary analyses indicate that there will be a need for a re-balance in the third quarter of 2009. However, …

The European Commission recommendation that Macedonian citizens be allowed to enter Schengen countries visa-free from January 1 2010 has caused a drop in demand for Bulgarian passports, Skopje-based Dnevnik said on July 17 2009. Macedonia is being given the concession along with two other Western Balkans states, Serbia and Montenegro.

TIRANA Nearly a week after parliamentary elections, Albania’s governing Democratic Party began to assemble a coalition government on Saturday, even as the opposition Socialists decried the move as premature.

GENEVA European citizens will be able to find out what dangerous substances are emitted in their neighbourhoods under an environmental treaty to go into effect in 17 countries in October, the United Nations said on Friday.

BELGRADE Serbia needs to enter the EU as soon as possible, but not just because of the benefits it brings, but the whole system of values, says Ivica Dačić.Speaking at a Socialist Party of Serbia rally in Belgrade, party leader Dačić said that Serbia was within touching distance of EU …