Balkans

The Appeals Court in Belgrade upheld on Wednesday the 20-year sentence given to former deputy commander of Serb forces in Vukovar, Stanko Vujanovic, for war crimes against Croat military prisoners of war. Vujanovic was convicted of participating in the November 1991 murder of an estimated 200 Croats at the Ovcara …

The head of the EU delegation in Albania, Ettore Sequi, said on Wednesday that Albania needs to commit to reforms in order to move ahead in its EU integration bid. “For Albania to become an EU member, it

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated on Wednesday that Belgrade does not have a new policy on the Kosovo issue. Replying to reporters’ question as to the statement by the head of Serbia’s negotiating team Borko Stefanović regarding division

Serbia wants an independent investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo, Serbian Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekaric said. Commenting on a proposal that the UN Security Council form a body that would be tasked with the investigation, which will be discussed mid-May, he said that the U.S., Great Britain, …

Montenegro’s prime minister met with the Czech president on Wednesday and discussed the country’s current political and economic situation as well as its European perspective. The Czech president’s visit to Podgorica is a confirmation that the country supports Montenegro’s bid for membership in the EU and NATO, as well as …

The parliament in Bosnia’s mainly Croat-Bosniak region has condemned a recent decision by the Serb region to hold a referendum on the state court. At an extraordinary session on Wednesday, Bosnia’s Federation parliament adopted a document reaffirming committment to Euro-Atlantic integration, the rule of law, equality, and the consistent implementation …

European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso will visit Albania soon after the May 8th local elections to stress the importance of the process. The visit was announced by

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Countryman says Kosovo’s future is in the EU, adding that Washington will continue its strong support for Kosovo as a modern European

by Anes Alic The parliament of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity of Republika Srpska decided on Wednesday to call for a referendum on whether Bosnian Serbs should continue to cooperate with the country’s war crimes court, citing the court’s alleged anti-Serb bias. Out of the 75 lawmakers present, 66 voted for the …

Bulgarian Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov has signed a culture cooperation program with the Croatian Ministry of Culture. The draft program was approved at a government’s meeting on 12 January 2011. The document provides