Balkans

Montenegro’s foreign minister says that establishment of the rule of law will be the priority as Podgorica forms its negotiating team for accession talks with the EU. “The priority is to establish a negotiating structure and a working group that will stick to the rule of law,” said Foreign Minister …

Bulgaria and Israel have signed two military agreements at a meeting of their Defense Ministers, Anyu Angelov and Ehud Barak, in Tel Aviv. The first agreement provides for joint military drills between the armed forces of Bulgaria and Israel, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry announced.

The Serbian Foreign Ministry’s annual Ambassadors’ Conference is being held in Belgrade on Monday. The gathering will be addressed by

Greece’s Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos, said on Monday an exit from the euro area and a return to the drachma, the country’s old currency, “is really not an option.”

Croatia’s celebration of its 20th anniversary on Sunday was marked by appeals to support the country’s EU membership bid at a referendum next week. On Sunday, Croatia celebrated two decades since 20 countries, including all the members of the then European Community, announced

Country’s two mainly Bosniak parties have agreed on their ministerial candidates for the new state government. Following the end of Bosnia’s prolonged political stalemate at the end of December 2011 and the appointment of the new Prime Minister on January 12, the country’s six main parties have started proposing ministers …

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip Reeker, will visit Skopje on Wednesday on a mission to boost stalled Greek-Macedonian “name” talks. The UN mediator in the dispute, Matthew Nimetz, on Monday and

Bulgaria’s Defense Minister Anyu Angelov is heading on a state visit in Israel for talks with his counterpart Ehud Barak. Amid reports of a terror threat to Israeli tourists in Sofia, Bulgarian Defense Minister Anu Anguelov will arrive in Tel

Kosovo deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci has refused to approve Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, his wife and ex-PM Božidar Đelić’s visit to Kosovo. The Karađorđevićs and Đelić were planning on visiting the Peć Patriarchate and the Visoki Dečani monastery. Kuci is in charge of approving Serbian officials’ visits to Kosovo and …

Greece’s foreign ministry says German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will visit Athens Sunday for talks with senior officials. A ministry statement Friday said Westerwelle will