Balkans

Greece’s finance minister held talks with officials from the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank on Monday, just as the European Union announced an upward revision of the country’s deficit figures to 15.4 per cent. The delegates were in Athens for a two-week inspection visit of …

Serbian President Boris Tadić will attend the constitutive session of the RS assembly in Banja Luka on Monday. The new president of the Serb republic in Bosnia, Milorad Dodik, will be inaugurated. RS parliament speaker Igor Radojičić, who will be renominated for the post, has said that beside Tadić, a …

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom on Friday, November 12th, congratulated Bosnian officials for their efforts that led to visa liberalisation. After talks with Malmstrom in Sarajevo, BiH Prime Minister Nikola

Bulgaria and Russia established a joint venture last Saturday to handle construction of the South Stream natural gas pipeline on Bulgarian territory. The agreement was signed during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Sofia. He and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov

EULEX has advised two officials from the party of outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci not to run in the December 12th snap elections, as they are under investigation for corruption and organised crime, media reported on Friday (November 12th). EULEX deputy head Andy Sparks said that including Fatmir Limaj and …

UN war crimes tribunal chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz will visit Belgrade today to discuss Serbia’s co-operation with the court. He is scheduled to meet with Serbia’s President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and head of the national council for co-operation with The Hague tribunal, Rasim Ljajic. Brammertz writes regular …

Croatian police detained on last Friday one person for suspected war crimes committed in 1991 and issued arrest warrants for four others. The five were allegedly involved in killing 12 members of the Vinkovci-based special police unit in Borovo Selo, eastern Croatia, in 1991. The 12 police officers went to …

Bosnia’s new tripartite president was inaugurated yesterday in Sarajevo, following 3 October general elections that saw the Bosniak seat go to Bakir Izetbegovic; the Croat seat go to Zeljko Komsic; and the Serb seat go to Nebojsa Radmanovic. The three will serve a four-year mandate.

Nebojsa Radmanovic, chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said here Thursday that national reconciliation and trust can not be achieved without the prosecution of all war criminals of all nations in the region. Radmanovic’s statement came as he addressed the UN Security Council in an open meeting on …

Bulgaria’s Cabinet approved a joint venture to build and operate the Bulgarian section of the South Stream natural gas pipeline. The new business will be registered in Bulgaria and will be controlled on an equal-equity basis by state-held Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) and Russian gas giant Gazprom. The joint venture’s …