Balkans

Serbian President Boris Tadić will meet on Tuesday in Belgrade with Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency official Haris Silajdžić. This will be the Bosnian Muslim politician’s first visit to Belgrade since the war in Bosnia began in 1992. Silajdžić announced last week that succession and the fate of the property of Bosnian companies, as …

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor met the US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, Stephen Rapp, and informed him about Croatia’s cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal. Kosor and Rapp met in Zagreb on Sunday, and the Croatian premier informed the American ambassador that full cooperation with the Hague war …

High Representative Valentin Inzko said on Sunday (May 23rd) that the June 2nd EU-Western Balkans conference in Sarajevo could be an important turning point for the region. According to him, the EU’s goal is to guarantee stability and prosperity in the Balkans. In an interview with the Zagreb-based daily Vjesnik, …

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias has accepted an invitation to meet with newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, government spokesman Stephanos Stephanou announced in a statement Saturday (May 22nd). Both will attend a dinner Tuesday with UN special adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer, effectively the first meeting of the two …

The EU integration processes of Albania and other countries in the Western Balkans have gotten a shot in the arm from Romania, Greece and Bulgaria. “We adopted a joint declaration regarding our commitment to the European prospects of the Western Balkan countries,” Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said on Friday …

Albania – Lawmakers from the opposition Socialist Party (SP) are expected to attend parliament sessions this week, following the start of negotiations to resolve the ongoing political stalemate. Local media reported at the weekend that SP leader Edi Rama was told at a negotiating table in Strasbourg to get his …

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov reiterated on Sunday (May 23rd) that his country is willing to resolve the long-standing name dispute with Greece, telling Radio Free Europe that there is no alternative to EU and NATO membership. The president, however, stressed that this solution must be mutually acceptable. He said there …

Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Sunday (May 23rd) that EU officials assured him recently the bloc will accelerate the enlargement process after the world economic crisis eases. He blamed the stalemate in the integration of new members on the shift in EU focus to its economic troubles. Tadic also …

We had to choose between collapse and salvation – we chose salvation, Greek Prime Minister Georgious Papandreu said at the parliament. Papandreu stated that eh Cabinet has aimed at turning the crisis into a chance. “The system we succeeded was based on inequality and injustice, we hadn’t the chance to …

Bulgaria will host the third meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe. The forum will take place at Grand Hotel Sofia and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will deliver welcoming speech to the participants. Delegations of the Balkan sates will make a review …