Balkans

World Bank Probe “Damaged” Albania Relations

lbania’s Minister of Finance accused the World Bank on Friday of damaging their excellent relations with a probe by an independent investigative panel on a coastal management project that has embarrassed the conservative government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha. “We regret to note that Bank’s internal issues are being transposed …

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Rights Group Slams Harrassment Of Kosovo NGO

International human rights group Front Line accused Kosovo’s public telecoms company of harrassing civil society group COHU!, and called for a prompt investigation into the matter. The managing director of Kosovo’s Post and Telecommunications Kosovo, PTK, Shyqyri Haxhaj, accused the wife of COHU! director Avni Zogjani, a PTK employee, of …

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Bulgarian Labor Minister Expects Crisis Unemployment Rise in 2009

Emilia Maslarova, Bulgaria’s Minister of Labor and Social Policy, has suggested that unemployment in the country will rise sharply over the next few months. Maslarova expects many more people to be looking for work in 2009, Darik Radio reported Saturday. Maslarova stated that the government’s new work program will aim …

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New coalition is forming between DSB and UDF after long circle of negotiations

Plovdiv. New coalition is forming between Democrats for Strong Bulgaria /DSB/ and Union of Democratic Forces /UDF/ after long circle of negotiations. This is what MP and DSB member Ivan Ivanov said at press conference FOCUS News Agency reporter informs. Negotiations are almost finished, Ivanov added. The new coalition will …

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Energy Minister: Bulgaria Prepared to Re-Boot Unit 4 of Kozloduy Nuclear Plant

Bulgaria is already technically prepared to re-boot unit 4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant according to Peter Dimitrov, Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy and Energy, the Bulgarian daily Standart newspaper reported late Friday. Dimitrov stated; “We are technically prepared to switch Kozloduy’s unit 4 back on. We are ready to …

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Bulgaria Confirms Anti-GM Corn Support to Hungarian Government

Bulgaria’s Minister of Environment and Waters (MOEW), Dzhevdet Chakurov, has confirmed Bulgarian support for the Hungarian government’s decision to put a temporary ban on the production, distribution, import and sale of genetically modified corn in the country, Bulgarian information agencies reported Saturday. Minister Chakurov stated Bulgaria’s support to the Hungarian …

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Romanian elite queues up to enter Parliament

The battle for inclusion on the EU election lists of Romania’s main political parties has reached new heights as a 28 February registration deadline approaches. The prospect of salaries five times higher than those of current Romanian MEPs appears to be an irresistible incentive. A “war of candidates” is raging …

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Envoy: Romania to assist Nigeria on military training

LAGOS, – Marian Parjol, Romanian ambassador to Nigeria, has pledged his country’s readiness to assist Nigeria in the area of military training, reported the News Agency of Nigeria. Parjol made the pledge on Thursday in Abuja when he visited Nigeria’s Minister of Defense Shetimah Mustapha in his office. The envoy …

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Romania Soldier Dies In Afghanistan

Romania’s Defence Ministry said a soldier serving in the country’s peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan was killed when his vehicle drove over an explosive device. The ministry said the soldiers were on patrol on Thursday on the highway between Kabul and Qalat, a town near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. The dead …

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Milutinovic To Return To Serbia Friday

Former Serbian president Milan Milutinovic, acquited of war crimes relating to the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict, will return to Belgrade on Friday after more than four years spent in detention in The Hague. On Thursday the United Nations war crimes court found five senior Serb officials guilty of orchestrating the murder, …

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