Balkans

Six-member PACE delegation, led by Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC), will arrive in Bulgaria on a two-day mission to assess the electoral framework and campaign prior to the early parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 May.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has confirmed his participation in a public debate on the operation of the international criminal tribunals. The debate is due to take place in the UN General Assembly on April 10.

Belgrade has five days left to decide whether it will accept Brussels’ offer on Kosovo. Top officials say that a decision will have to be made by April 9. “At this point I cannot say what our response will be because top state

As of Monday, Croatia has applied the standard rather than the light visa regime toward tourists from non-EU countries. The country was required to align its visa system

Jordanian and Albanian foreign ministers on Tuesday stressed the urgency for a political solution to Syria, which preserves the unity of the country. At a meeting in Amman, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh

Macedonia has one week to present its progress in terms of the European integration, so as European Commissioner Stefan Fule to work out a positive report for the country, which will not bury down country’s hopes for being given a date to launch the EU accession talks.

Differences between Belgrade and Pristina are small but deep. This is what High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, said after the 12-hour negotiations between the two countries in Brussels.

The International Monetary Fund has agreed to provide approximately one billion euros to the 10-billion-euro rescue plan for cash-strapped Cyprus, managing director Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday.

The eighth round of the Kosovo dialogue ended in Brussels late on Tuesday with the two sides unable to reach an agreement. Serbian PM Ivica Dacic addressed reporters in the early hours

“Kosovo is ready to sign an agreement with Serbia, but it will not change its positions and will not accept anything, which is contrary to Kosovo’s constitution”, stated Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. “This is a historical day. A very decisive moment for Kosovo and the region”, Thaci stated.