Balkans

In the run up to a crucial referendum on Croatia’s EU membership bid, Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic tells lawmakers that joining the bloc will ensure the country’s stability. Pusic said in parliament on Thursday that stability was the most important argument in favour of Croatia’s EU entry.

The IMF has given approval for discussions on new rescue loans to Greece, the Greek finance minister said today. The International Monetary Fund has given approval for discussions on new rescue loans to Greece, the Greek finance minister said today as the country held crucial debt-cutting talks.

Rossen Plevneliev was sworn in as the president of Bulgaria on Thursday. Plevneliev, who is the country’s fourth democratically elected president, took the

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Cyprus in February, an official said on Thursday, becoming the country’s first premier to visit the island nation. Details on the objective of the visit are unknown yet. Netanyahu’s trip will follow on from last week’s visit by Cypriot Defence Minister Demetris Eliades, …

Belgrade faces a dilemma on whether to include Kosovo in its next round of national and local elections, as Germany has directly asked Serbia to abandon its so-called parallel institutions in Kosovo. Serbia’s Ministry of Public Administration and Local Government is busy preparing electoral rolls. The job must be done

A top US State Department official is in Belgrade on Thursday to discuss the Kosovo issue and overall stability in the region. Philip Reeker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, has arrived on a three-day visit to Belgrade as part

On a visit to Skopje, top US state department official says that the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia must be resolved before Macedonia can join NATO. Philip Reeker, US deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, said on Wednesday that despite a recent court ruling in favour of

Bulgaria’s foreign minister has praised his country’s relationship with Greece, and vowed to support the EU prospects of the Western Balkans. In a meeting with his Greek counterpart Stavros Dimas on Wednesday, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said that Greece

Two days of UN brokered name talks between Macedonia and Greece in New York this week ended without result. The UN envoy tasked with mediating the dispute, Matthew Nimetz, nevertheless described the talks as “helpful” and focused on the best way to move the process forward in a constructive manner.

Bosnia’s prosecution said Tuesday it has decided to halt a probe for alleged war crimes of former wartime president Ejup Ganic and 13 others in a case also investigated by neighbouring Serbia.