Balkans

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday (June 2nd) appointed Lisa Buttenheim as his special representative and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus. Buttenheim, of the United States, will replace Taye-Brook Zerihoun of Ethiopia, who was appointed in April to a UN post in New York.

NATO closed down its office in Tirana on Wednesday (June 2nd), a little more than a year after Albania joined the Alliance in April 2009. In his remarks, President Bamir Topi thanked all peacekeepers serving in missions around the world.

The EU-Western Balkans meeting in Sarajevo on Wednesday (June 2nd) reaffirmed that countries in the region have EU membership prospects, and afterwards, Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni noted “All participants … asked for acceleration of the integration process.” He added that the meeting underscored a commitment to expand visa liberalisation …

Bulgaria is a model for the Western Balkan countries, U.S. Deputy Secretary James Steinberg told journalists after meeting Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov. He said that Bulgaria plays an important role in the Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries in the region. At their meeting the two discussed the situation in …

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić is today visiting Bratislava, where he will meet with his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajčak. Jeremić and Lajčak are scheduled to sign a Memorandum of

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and visiting European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek made a joint plea on Wednesday for coordinated efforts to exit the economic crisis. “The presence of the European Parliament President in Athens sends a strong message of support of the sacrifices of Greek people, so that Greece …

SARAJEVO Članice Evropske unije tijesno će sarađivati kako bi se unaprijedio proces proširivanja Unije, a zemlje zapadnog Balkana ubrzaće unutrašnje reforme kako bi se ostvario zajednički cilj – ulazak svih država regije u EU. Ovo je ključna poruka konferencije “EU – zapadni Balkan”, koja je uz učešće 48 delegacija zemalja …

Wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, on trial at the UN war crimes court, today in cross-examination questioned prosecution witness Robert Donia about the causes of the Bosnian war.

Serbia should join the EU as soon as possible, Greek President Karolos Papoulias said on Tuesday (June 1st), after meeting with Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic in Athens. Papoulias stressed that Greece will continue to support Belgrade in its membership bid. He also reiterated that efforts aimed at resolving Kosovo’s status …

The European Parliament’s (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution Tuesday (June 1st) that calls for easing ethnic tensions and urges Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) leaders to be more responsible regarding the country’s EU future. Though members backed a proposal to lift visa requirements for BiH citizens, they also voiced …