Balkans

“EU integrations and Kosovo are separate issues, but bilateral matters should be solved in parallel with the EU integrations process,” says Stefan Fuele. The EU enlargement commissioner said that any country intent on joining the EU must “demonstrate that it has good relations with its neighbors, based on cooperation, tolerance, …

International Civilian Office (ICO) chief Pieter Feith opposes Belgrade’s plan to organise elections in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo. In an interview with Deutsche Welle on Wednesday (March 31st), Feith said the ICO would only recognise the results of elections organised by Pristina. He added that opening an EU office in Serb-dominated …

Islamic Community in Serbia Chief Mufti Muamer Zukorlić has rejected the Srebrenica declaration adopted by parliament as “inadequate, useless and disparaging”. “On behalf of Bosniaks (Muslims) and all humane people I reject the declaration condemning the crime in Srebrenica which was adopted by the Serbian parliament,” Zukorlić declared in Novi …

Bulgarian Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traycho Traykov and his Turkish counterpart Taner Yildiz have discussed a possible joint project for a liquefied gas terminal. The port will have a 6 billion cub.m. capacity and will be located on the Turkish coast.

SARAJEVO Za tri policijske agencije osnovane setom zakona o reformi policije u BiH u ovoj godinu u budžetu je rezervirano oko osam miliona KM iako nijedna od njih, osim direktora i zamjenika, nema stalno zaposlenih kadrova. Agencije za forenzička ispitivanja, školovanje kadrova, odnosno policijsku podršku, osnovane su prije dvije godine, …

Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz says that report on Serbia’s cooperation will be finished in the second half of May. However, he stated that at this point, he did not know what the assessment would be. “The fact that the previous report was positive does not mean that the next …

The Croatian Ministry of Justice believes that significant steps have been taken in prosecuting war crimes, while some NGOs claim that additional efforts are needed. Vesna Terselic, director of the Zagreb-based Documenta Centre, said that around 700 cases had filed to the state prosecution in the

The Appellate Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, rejected on Thursday Radovan Karadzic’s request to delay his trial until June 2010. The decision about the date the trial will resume should be made shortly; it is expected that it will continue within the next several …

Progress has been made in talks to reunify Cyprus, leaders of the two communities on the divided island said after meeting Tuesday (March 30th). The session was the last ahead of a break for presidential elections in the Turkish-dominated north, scheduled for April 18th. “After many meetings … we are …

EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon wants to serve another mandate. He said that he would like to serve another two years after his current mandate expires in June. De Kermabon reiterated that EULEX is in Kosovo to help local institutions strengthen the rule of law, but described the current fight …