Balkans

Macedonia and Kosovo will sign a criminal law agreement, the Macedonian media reported. Macedonian Justice Minister Mihajlo Manevski and his Kosovan counterpart Hajredin Kuci are due to sign on Friday agreements on mutual help in criminal cases, extradition and transfer of convicts.

Serbs are going to boycott the census in Kosovo. The political representatives of the Serbs in Kosovo were unanimous that they will not take part in the census organised by authorities in Pristina and will respect Belgrade’s decision. According to Oliver Ivanovic, the state secretary of the Ministry for Kosovo …

The European Parliament (EP) requires immediate start of the pre-accession talks with Macedonia and expressed its pity that the Council of the EU has not observed the recommendations of the EP and of the European Commission (EC). This is the basic message in the EP resolution for Macedonia, passed in …

Croatia’s accession into the European Union is in sight, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said here on Thursday, urging the country to make the final effort to join the bloc. “The final stretch is often the hardest, but it can be done and with the necessary reforms you will …

The Democratic Union, which is part of the ruling coalition, is concerned about the appointment of Kristian Vigenin as European Parliament rapporteur on Macedonia, the local media announced. According to the Democratic Union Vigenin will not be impartial when presenting the reports on Macedonia. The party voiced concern also about …

EULEX has arrested a Kosovo Serb on a suspicion of war crimes committed in 1999. The detainee is Zoran Kolic, a member of the leadership of the Independent Liberal Party. EULEX announced that one person had been arrested in relation with a war crimes investigation.

Parliament on Thursday called on EU Member States to begin accession negotiations immediately with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Regretting that the name dispute with Greece is causing deadlock, MEPs also expressed concern over the growing inter-ethnic tensions in the country, as well as corruption and recent

Even if Serbia obtains a status of a EU member state candidate, the country will get a date for launching the negotiations, unless it amends the act for election of members of the parliament. Head of the parliamentary group of the ruling Democratic Party, Nada Kolundjia, said that the act …

Kosovo’s government and the main opposition party have reached agreement on a presidential candidate, staving off fears that the government might collapse. Atifete Jahjaga, the deputy director of Kosovo police, has been named as the new candidate after several rounds of talks on Wednesday night between the ruling

The OSCE called on political parties to recognise the results of the upcoming May 8th local elections as an important aspect of democracy. Head of the mission in Albania Eugen Wollfarth told an experts’ roundtable on