Balkans

European Parliament (EP) rapporteur on visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans, Tanja Fajon, expects Croatia to complete its EU accession talks next year, probably in the first half

Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu said on Friday (October 22nd) he had accepted a call from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a tripartite meeting — to include the Greek Cypriot side — in New York, in a bid to boost momentum in ongoing talks to reunify

Serbian Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac has welcomed the EU’s decision to advance Serbia’s membership application. “Serbia’s European journey cannot be stopped. The defense ministry is doing everything possible and is helping in the hunt for Mladic and Hadzic,” the minister said following the EU foreign ministers’ decision to examine Serbia’s …

Russia and Greece will hold talks to work out a joint position on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project before the end of the year, according to Russia’s Energy

The EU is for the first time sending border guards to help Greece stem an influx of migrants entering across the land border with Turkey. The Rapid Border Intervention Teams set up in 2007 “are activated today for the first time”, the European Commission said late on Sunday. The Commission …

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele believes there is a good chance EU foreign ministers will decide to forward Serbia’s EU membership application to the Commission when they meet on Monday (October 25th). Speaking on Friday in Bratislava, he expressed optimism

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and visiting Montenegrin counterpart Milo Djukanovic reaffirmed on Friday (October 22nd) friendly relations between their countries and voiced Skopje’s and Podgorica’s

Croatia’s Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Saturday (October 23rd) that Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor has voiced his country’s support for Croatia’s efforts to wrap up EU accession talks. At a meeting in Lovran, Croatia, the two officials agreed to strengthen bilateral economic co-operation and to establish a working group …

Bosnian Serb Dragan Rodic has agreed to plead guilty to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Bosniak and Croatian prisoners of war during the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict, local media reported on Saturday (October 23rd). Rodic is charged with taking part in establishing and maintaining a punishment and abuse …

Bosnia’s Croat and Serb leaders, Dragan Covic and Milorad Dodik, have agreed to to work together to create a Bosnian Croat entity. The move drew criticism from Muslims, who claimed it would lead to the “destruction of Bosnia.” Muslims, Croats and Serbs form the country’s three largest groups but it …