Balkans

Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas represented Greece as an advocate for the Western Balkans EU integration, and pointed out that solving name dispute is the main condition for Macedonia’s EU integration, Greek ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Bulgaria should receive its first natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan in 2011, agreed the presidents of the two countries, Georgi Parvanov and Ilham Aliyev. Parvanov went to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku Wednesday on a two-day state visit focused precisely on gas supplies talks and energy security. He is returning a visit

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, on the eve of his country’s handover of the rotating EU presidency to Belgium, has reiterated Brussels’ stance that Pristina and Belgrade should start a dialogue and discuss practical issues.

The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board gathered on Tuesday (June 29th) in Sarajevo for a two-day meeting. After a briefing from Security Minister Sadik Ahmetovic about Sunday’s pre-dawn attack on a police station in Bugojno that killed a police officer, the Board condemned it as “an attack … on …

Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) leader Ilir Meta on Tuesday (June 29th) urged political leaders to start strengthening electoral legislation, to ensure small parties get more representation. “Discussions need to be wide and all inclusive,” he said. Meta’s SMI only managed to win a handful of seats in parliament in …

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov will pay a working visit to Azerbaijan on June 30 and July 1, the press office of the presidency announced. Visit of the Bulgarian head of state is at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev in response to his working visit in Sofia in November 2009. 

Macedonia must boost reforms in several areas if it hopes not to spoil last year’s positive report from the European Commission that contained a recommendation for the start of its EU accession talks. This is what EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele conveyed on Tuesday in Brussels to his guest, Macedonia’s …

Croatia is set to take another step towards the EU Wednesday, opening three more chapters in its membership negotiations and closing another couple. The Croatian delegation will be led by Croatia’s Foreign Minister Gordan Jadrokovic.

Seven former army and police officers went on trial in Bijelo Polje on Monday (June 28th) for crimes against humanity. They are charged with the inhumane treatment of Muslims in the northwest region of Bukovica — near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina — in 1992 and 1993. The area …

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski rejected on Monday (June 28th) opposition calls for early elections, while acknowledging that each party has the legitimate right to seek a snap vote. As for the name row with Greece, Gruevski said there are no indications that UN mediator Matthew Nimetz will