Balkans

Hungarian President Pal Schmitt is to pay a two-day visit to Serbia on Thursday. He is scheduled to meet with the Serbian state leaders and officials of Vojvodina. Besides the capital Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad, the Hungarian president will visit also the northern city of Subotica.

Greece rejects a backtrack in EU’s Schengen free passport zone treaty through the reinstatement of border controls within member countries, said Greek Citizen Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis on Wednesday.

Bosnia’s top international figure, High Representative Valentin Inzko, has said he will suspend any decision to call a referendum on the state court and prosecutor if the Bosnian Serb entity, the Republika Srpska, does not do so itself.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Bulgaria on Wednesday for the first leg of a three-country European tour. Ban will meet with Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Foreign Minister

The UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) has turned down a motion for acquittal filed by Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj. In its ruling on Wednesday (May 4th), the court determined there are no grounds for halting the trial and releasing the defendant, as the prosecutors presented sufficient evidence for …

European Parliament (EP) member and Rapporteur on BiH Doris Pack criticised on Tuesday (May 3rd) Republika Srpska’s plan to hold a referendum on the BiH Court and Prosecutor’s Office. Meeting with RS Parliament

The US welcome Croatia’s progress in the EU integration process, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said on Tuesday (May 3rd), after talks at the White House with Vice-President Joe Biden. Josipovic added that the main topics were bilateral relations, co-operation within NATO and fighting terrorism. He also met with Secretary of …

Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers approved a draft police cooperation agreement with Croatia, the government’s press office announced. Compared to the current intergovernmental agreement for cooperation in the fight against organised crime, illegal drug trafficking and terrorism, the document provides broader legal framework for police cooperation, expanding the scope of the …

Head of the Belgrade negotiating team Borislav Stefanović has said he intends to visit Priština mid-May, ahead of the fourth round of the negotiations. He said that he wanted to go to Priština to meet with members of the other team and explain to the Kosovo Albanians the Belgrade view …

The European Parliament’s (EP) civil liberties committee on Monday (May 2nd) adopted with significant majority a recommendation to allow Bulgaria and Romania to join Schengen. The recommendation will be voted on at an EP plenary session next month. The final decision is in the hands of EU interior ministers, who …