Balkans

Pristina – Kosovo has begun registering people and recording their financial statistics in a pilot scheme in five cities in preparation for a complete census.

Skopje – The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Stuart E. Jones, is visiting Macedonia and is to hold meetings with President Branko Crvenkovski and Premier Nikola Gruevski.

Pristina – Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has congratulated senior Albanian leaders for their progress in joining NATO after the United States signed a key protocol.

Pristina – The former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari sees Kosovo as an example of ‘preventative diplomacy’ and a warning to all dictators who mistreat their people.

Sarajevo – Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) member of the tripartite presidency, Haris Silajdzic, and party associate, Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj are “not welcome any more” in senior UN and EC circles.

Skopje – In an effort to increase power production, Macedonia has issued a public notice to investors interested in building hydropower plants along its biggest Vardar river.

Sarajevo – The European Commission has halted projects for Bosnia and Herzegovina worth €50 million, until Sarajevo cancels or refunds taxes on grants and donations.

After the killing of journalist Ivo Pukanic, the question being asked in Croatia is whether organized crime has won its battle with the state, or will this be an opportunity for institutions to start fully working, as they did in a few quickly resolved cases this week?

The Parliament at its 27th session Monday will resume the debate on draft law on changes and supplements to the Electoral Code.

The main index of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange Sofix fell by 8,44% on Friday closing at 548,02, which equals its Summer 2004 level.