Balkans

The first intergovernmental conference between Serbia and the EU, which will mark the formal start of the accession talks, will be held in Brussels on Jan. 21.

“Greece assumes the Presidency of the EU at a time of very important changes, for 2014 is the beginning of the new 7 year programing period, as well as a year of European Elections and the constitution of a new European

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Monday that talks between Belgrade and Pristina will continue on January 28. “We agreed with EU High Representative Catherine Ashton to

Bulgarian President, Rosen Plevneliev, is on an official state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The Bulgarian President is the first head of state to visit China in 2014.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin will pay today a working visit to Macedonia, where he is to meet with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki.

The EULEX mission in Kosovo will be granted a new mandate in June and will continue investigating war crimes and organized crime.

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic met with European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin in Belgrade on Friday.

Serbia wants the mutual withdrawal of the two genocide lawsuits filed by Zagreb and Belgrade at the International Court of Justice, but it will not act unilaterally, Marko Djuric, an adviser to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier starts a two-day visit in Athens on Thursday. Steinmeier is expected to meet his Greek counterpart Evangelos Venizelos, after

EU leaders Wednesday night in a ceremony in Athens officially inaugurated the six-month Greek Presidency of the EU, stressing the support of Brussels for Greece to overcome its economic and political crisis.