Balkans

Spain on Monday ended its military mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon described Spanish troops as having ‘fulfilled’ their task, Spanish media reported. ‘Peace has been brought where it seemed impossible to have it,’ Chacon said during a visit to Sarajevo, ending 18 years of Spanish military …

Wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has asked the Hague Tribunal to issue a binding order requesting that the Bosnian government submit a number of documents relevant to his defence. The indictee said the military documents were necessary for the trial, which is being held before

Both Bulgaria and Romania might profit from South Stream, stated Bulgarian economy minister Traikov, commenting on views that the two countries are competing for a place in the Russian project. Speaking in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, Traikov stated that there are many opportunities for

Serbia is a key for the stability and security in the Western Balkans, Romanian President Traian Basescu said at an international forum in Bucharest. Basescu added the pro-European authorities in Belgrade should be supported. He also noted Romania considers it very important to back up the European road of Moldova …

Bulgaria and Russia have agreed to speed up negotiations on the South Stream gas pipeline, Alexei Miller, CEO of the Russian energy giant Gazprom, said on Friday in Sofia. Miller explained that the two sides had made significant progress in speeding up the process of implementing the South Stream project, following …

Croatia’s Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Friday (October 15th) that parliamentary elections will be held at the end of 2011, as previously announced. She was refuting suggestions by some opposition parties that the

France’s Xavier Bout de Marnhac took over as the new head of EULEX on Friday (October 15th), replacing compatriot General Yves de Kermabon, who has led the mission since February 2008. De Marnhac served as KFOR commander from 2007 to 2008. He says his priorities will be to restore rule …

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met on Thursday in Brussels with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They expressed their support to the forthcoming dialogue between Belgrade and

The Serbian parliament adopted a declaration condemning the crimes committed against the Serb people and citizens of Serbia. The crimes were committed during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

Croatia and neighbour Slovenia have found a solution to the last major bilateral obstacle that was blocking Zagreb’s EU entry talks — cross-border banking access, Slovenia’s