Balkans

NATO praises Montenegro’s aspirations towards the alliance

At Tuesday’s meeting of North Atlantic Council in Brussels, NATO welcomed Montenegro’s aspirations towards the membership and encouraged the country to continue reforms. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO, described the meeting with Milo Djukanovic, the Montenegrin Prime Minister, as “very good”.

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The EU Enlargement Commissioner stresses the importance of free elections in Albania

The EU Enlargement Commissioner, Stefan Fule, on Monday called on Albania’s parties to ensure that the general elections meet a high standard in order to advance the country’s EU goals. “The existing broad consensus in Albania on European Union integration

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EU gives green light to Croatia to join the union on July 1

The European Commission gave Croatia a clean bill of health today in its final check before the Balkan state joins the EU in July, but said it would keep watch over corruption and crime. Marking the end of Zagreb’s decade-long effort to join mainstream Europe, European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan …

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In Bosnia, Turkey brings back a gentle version of the Ottoman Empire

Turkey conquered the Balkans five centuries ago. Now Turkish power is making inroads through friendlier means. Two Turkish-run universities have opened in Bosnia’s Ottoman-influenced capital in recent years, bringing an influx of Turkish students and culture to a predominantly Muslim country still reeling from a brutal ethnic war almost two …

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