Balkans

After private meeting with Church leader, President says he remains open to dialogue with leaders of breakaway Kosovo.Tomislav Nikolic, Serbia’s new President, met with Patriarch Irinej, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, on Monday to discuss the Kosovo issue. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Nikolic said he remained open …

Families of the Srebrenica genocide victims say they plan to sue those responsible within the Hague Prosecution for destruction of around a thousand artifacts found in mass graves.The artifacts were destroyed in 2005, on the tenth anniversary of the execution of over 7,000 people from Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces. …

While some have strongly condemned a handshake between Kosovo prime minister and former Serbian president, others dubbed it a belated move.Not for a long time has a handshake attracted so much attention in the Balkans as the one between Hashim Thaci, Kosovo Prime Minister, and Boris Tadic, former Serbian president …

Ruling parties push through motion suspending Traian Basescu from his position while setting date for referendum on removing him from his post.Romania’s parliament late on Friday voted to suspend Traian Basescu as the country’s President for 30 days and announced the date of a referendum as next stage of a …

Serbian and Bulgarian museums holding archeological treasures found on Macedonian soil have turned down a Macedonian request for them to hand over copies.Archeologist Pasko Kuzman, head of the Macedonian Cultural Heritage Bureau, says that national museums in Belgrade and in Sofia had “turned us down politely”. Macedonia hoped to be …

Kosovo institutions have achieved a good deal since 2008, but progress is still needed in the field of the rule of law, the 2012 EULEX report says.The latest report takes stock of the work done by European Union mission in Kosovo, EULEX and its Kosovo counterparts since the launch of …

The head of the Army’s Secret Service, Colonel Ylli Zyla, resigned on Thursday following media reports linking his wife to arms traders.“I am resigning to protect my integrity, the integrity of my family and the integrity of the army’s secret service as an institution part of NATO member state,” Zyla …

Srebrenica mayoral candidate Camil Durakovic and his campaign manager Emir Suljagic said the October local elections represent a critical point not only for the iconic town but also for the country.“The war is not over,” Suljagic told students attending a two week summer university in Srebrenica, occurring during the annual …

The OSCE Chairmanship representative has welcomed Montenegro’s democratic reforms but urged further action in the fight against organized crime and corruption.The representative of the Irish chair of the OSCE, Minister for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton, welcomed Montenegro’s progress in democratic reforms during a visit to Podgorica on Thursday.

New Minister of Interior Flamur Noka on Thursday admitted that stopping the cultivation of drugs was a challenge – but promised a war without tolerance or compromise.“The cultivation of narcotics in the country remains one of the key challenges facing the state police and the community,” Minister Noka told the …