Balkans

As Serbia and Kosovo get ready to appoint liaison officers, Belgrade dismisses claims that Kosovo’s officials are de facto ‘ambassadors’ to Serbia.Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has dismissed Kosovo’s claims, that it is appointing an “ambassador” to Serbia. “Belgrade and Pristina will exchange liaison officers who do not enjoy the …

Kosovo’s Supreme Court has ordered a retrial against six defendants in the second part of the so-called Klecka case, the EU rule of law mission, EULEX announced.“The Supreme Court panel granted the appeal of the EULEX Special Prosecutor and annulled the verdict of the first instance court which had acquitted …

Ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, member countries remain divided over whether to offer Serbia a start date for membership talks this year or next.Senior officials in Brussels officials say that a split has emerged among EU member states on Serbian membership negotiations ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of …

Svetozar Marovic, a veteran of Montenegrin politics, is replacing Milo Djukanovic as leader of the country’s ruling party now that the latter has again become Prime Minister.In an interview with Montenegro’s public broadcaster, RTCG, on Monday, Marovic said that he would take over leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of …

The Prime Minister of Bosnia’s Federation entity has asked the President to dismiss eight ministers whose parties no longer form part of Bosnia’s ruling coalition.Federation premier Nermin Niksic visited the entity’s President, Zivko Budimir, on December 10 to push for the dismissal of eight ministers whose parties no longer form …

Kosovo wants the international community to put pressure on Belgrade to resolve the issue of people who when missing during 1998-1999 war.Kosovo’s Governmental Commission for Missing Persons urged the international institutions “to use their authority towards Belgrade” in order to “finally resolve the sensitive and painful issue of missing persons” …

Serbian NGOs have lambasted the government’s rights record in a report issued on world human rights day.Serbia has seen a negative trend in terms of the protection of human rights since the formation of the new government, Serbian NGOs said in a report released on world human rights day.

The Alliance of Associations of Displaced Persons urged Montenegro’s leaders not to appoint ambassador to Pristina until people who fled Kosovo in 1999 are allowed to return.The organisation issued a statement on Monday in a response to the last week’s announcement by Kosovo’s president, Atifete Jahjaga, that the exchange of …

After winning almost two-thirds of the number of votes, the centre-left coalition led by Victor Ponta is in a strong position to govern unaided.Romania’s victorious centre-left Social-Democrat Union, USL, is waiting the official results of Sunday’s parliamentary elections to see whether it will have enough seats to create a government …

Adriatik Llalla started work as Albania’s new general prosecutor on Monday after MPs from the ruling Democratic Party voted him into office on Friday.“I was trusted to lead this institution … and will fulfill the duties subscribed in law,” Llalla said at the ceremonial handover from his predecessor, Ina Rama. …