Balkans

Russian president Vladimir Putin says that the US$50bn South Stream gas pipeline has been scrapped in favour of a new route through Turkey. Putin blamed the cancellation of the project – which would have seen a pipe constructed along a route through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary- on opposition from within the …

The European Parliament held a debate on the topic, “Turkish actions creating tensions in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus,” stressing support for the EU member state Cyprus. Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, said the EU stands firmly by the sovereign rights of its …

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted a meeting in Cairo with the attendance of Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Saturday and announced a new regional energy cooperation deal among Egypt, Greece and Greek Cyprus. Speaking at a joint press conference in Cairo, Greek …

The Egyptian, Cypriot and Greek foreign ministers met in the Cypriot capital Nicosia Wednesday to discuss shared interests and issues relating to energy, security, and tourism. The meeting took place in preparation for a new round of talks in Cairo on 8 November. A statement released by the Cypriot foreign …

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Serbia and Russia have strong political ties. He underscored that Moscow’s position on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija will not change and that Russia insists on it being resolved in line with UNSC Resolution 1244.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is meeting his counterpart Kristian Vigenin on July 7, during his official visit to Bulgaria. He is to mark the 135th anniversary since diplomatic relations were established between Bulgaria and Russia, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said in a statement to the media.

BAGHDAD, June 25, (Agencies): Militants attacked one of Iraq’s largest air bases and seized control of several small oilfields on Wednesday as US special forces troops and intelligence analysts arrived to help Iraqi security forces counter a mounting Sunni insurgency. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is fighting for his …

LONDON, June 23, (Agencies): British security forces will find it impossible to monitor all the estimated 500 jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq after they return home, a former top intelligence official said Monday. Richard Barrett, ex-head of counter-terrorism at the MI6 overseas security agency, told the BBC that authorities …

The UN refugee agency called on the authorities to ensure that people who fled Kosovo during the 1998-99 war have places to live and security if they choose to return home.

With the last votes from the general election yet to be counted, the political parties are still squabbling over who has the right to form a new government in Kosovo.