Balkans

RUDNICA, Serbia — The Belgrade war crimes court’s investigative judge, Milan Dilparic, announced Friday (June 8th) that no evidence of a mass grave was found during a three-day search at a quarry on the border between Serbia and Kosovo.

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and Bishop Vasilije Kacavenda have agreed to remove a church that was built in the yard of a Muslim woman who lost 22 relatives in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

NEW YORK, United States — UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe acknowledged on Friday (June 8th) that the world organisation has received legal papers in connection with a suit filed by relatives and victims of the Srebrenica massacre.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) — High Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling has begun consultations with the leaders of the BiH political parties on the issue of constitutional reform.

BUCHAREST, Romania — Bucharest on Friday (June 8th) rejected a new report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s rapporteur, Dick Marty, that suggests Romania hosted secret CIA detention centres from 2003 to 2005.

ST PETERSBURG, Russian Federation –Russia’s position on Kosovo is well-known and has not changed, Russian leader Vladimir Putin told Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in St Petersburg on Saturday (June 9th).

President Bush visits Albania, backs Kosovo independence TIRANA, Albania — US President George W. Bush arrived in Tirana Sunday (June 10th) to an enthusiastic welcome, with thousands turning out in the capital’s main square to greet him.

ATHENS, Greece — Three hand-made bombs went off in Athens early Friday (June 8th). One damaged a bus belonging to a German-Greek school.

BUCHAREST, Romania — Defence Minister Teodor Melescanu says Romania will boost dialogue with Russia to dispel concerns over the deployment of US bases in Bulgaria and Romania.

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany — The major Western powers have agreed to delay a vote on a resolution on the future status of Kosovo, international media reported on Thursday (June 7th).