Balkans

Hague indictee Ratko Mladić gave his consent on Wednesday to lawyer Branko Lukić to be his representative before the Hague Tribunal. However, necessary procedures need to be completed for him to be appointed as Mladić’s defense attorney. An authorization signed by Mladić was delivered to the Hague Secretariat.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed on Wednesday the arrest of Hague indictee Goran Hadžić. Ban commended Serbian President Boris Tadić and the Serbian authorities

Kosovo’s government took decision to put embargo on Serbian goods import, media in Pristine announced. The decision has been taken as reciprocal measure, because Belgrade doesn’t recognizes Kosovo’s customs hallmarks. Kosovo’s government imposed 10% customs duty on goods from Bosnia and Herzegovina, because Sarajevo also repudiates customs hallmarks.

Kosovo’s ‘supervised independence’ will end next year when the International Civilian Office (ICO), who watches the progress, wraps up its mission. ICO, who’s mission is to guide Kosovo through its first years, is scheduled to shut operations by the end of next year. 

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha nominated two new ministers on Tuesday. Eduard Halimi was named the new minister of justice, and Aldo Bumçi the new minister of culture and tourism.

At the forum that took place at Belgrade on Tuesday, the participants agreed that without the European Union the Western Balkans would be like in the 90’s. The forum was attended by civil representatives

Croatia’s Prime Minster Jadranka Kosor on Wednesday hailed the arrest of fugitive Goran Hadzic, accused over massacres and deportations in her country during its 1991-1995 war of independence.

As first Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that relations would freeze with the EU during the Greek Cypriot presidency in the latter part of 2012 unless

Bulgaria and Romania need to make further progress in judicial reform and in the fight against corruption and, in the case of Bulgaria, also in the fight against organised crime. The reports stress in particular that the judiciary

Serbian President announces the arrest of Serbia’s last remaining UN-indicted war crimes suspect, the former leader of the Croatian Serbs, Goran Hadzic. Goran Hadzic was arrested at 8.24am, Serbia’s President, Boris Tadic, told