Balkan News

After six months of negotiations, New Jersey-based Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. has acquired over 70% of Pliva Pharmaceuticals, Croatia’s largest drug company. The deal was finally closed earlier in October. Pliva, s regional leader in the industry, has more than 80 years of tradition behind it. Once the deal is officially …

Del Ponte submits negative report on Serbia to EU, SAA talks to remain frozen 17/10/2006 LUXEMBOURG — UN chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte presented her report on Serbia’s co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to the EU Troika — top diplomats of former, current and future …

Albanian president refuses to fire chief prosecutor TIRANA, Albania — President Alfred Moisiu announced on Friday (October 13th) that he would not fire chief prosecutor Theodhori Sollaku, despite government allegations that he maintained links to organised crime. “In the report presented, I have not seen any abuse of laws or …

The Hungarian-US consortium Biotech Energy will build a bio-ethanol plant in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, the project represents the largest-ever green field investment in Southeast Europe.

Sanader: Croatia deserves to join EU within two to three years 05/10/2006 ZAGREB, Croatia — Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Wednesday (October 4th) that his country deserves to join the EU in the next two to three years, adding it would be unacceptable for accession to occur after 2010. …

In mid-May, then Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and G17 Plus party leader Miroljub Labus resigned, citing the government’s failure to meet Brussels’ conditions for continuing pre-accession talks with Serbia — notably the arrest of Ratko Mladic. But Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic managed to persuade the party’s majority to stay in …

As expected, the latest report released by the European Commission (EC) met with varied reactions among Romanian politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens. A cautious tone was evident as the country discussed the historic moment and its long-term significance.

Montenegro‘s Djukanovic to step down 04/10/2006 PODGORICA, Montenegro — Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, who led his country through the conflicts of the 1990s to eventual independence, has decided to step down. The move comes on the heels of an impressive election victory by the Djukanovic-led Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) …

BiH holds general elections 01/10/2006 SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) — People across BiH headed for the polls on Sunday (1 October) for the country’s fifth general election since splitting from the former Yugoslavia. Polls showed that three parties — the opposition Social Democrats, the centrist Party for Bosnia and …

Kosovo’s negotiating team has agreed to participate in another session of direct talks with Belgrade on cultural heritage in Kosovo, to be held on 11 July in Vienna. Yet the Kosovo side says it will not accept new demands regarding protection zones around Serb Orthodox cultural and religious sites. “We …