Balkans

We realize Bulgaria’s need to join Schengen and the euro area. We will try to realize this goal by 2013, Spanish ambassador to Bulgaria Jorge Fuentes Monzonis-Vilallonga said at a news conference dedicated to the start of the Spanish EU Presidency.

Serbian President Boris Tadić has spent the night in the Serbian Orthodox monastery of Visoki Dečani, in Kosovo. He was attending Christmas Eve celebrations there along with the monks and several hundred Serbs. Tadić will also attend Holy Liturgy at the monastery this Christmas Day, which Orthodox Serbs celebrate according …

The new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, SPC, is scheduled to be elected at a church election assembly, which begins 22 January. The Bishop of Dalmatia Fotije confirmed the information. “All 45 bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be invited and will attend the election assembly. If an …

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has publicly scolded his minister without portfolio in charge of the government agnecy for Bulgarians living abroad for his comments on Turkey’s bid to join the EU.

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski during an official visit to Israel welcomed Serbian President Boris Tadic’s offer to mediate in his country’s name row with Greece. “Tadic’s offer is well-intentioned. He is neither the first nor the ast politician who wishes to help. Many have tried and others just expressed …

Ministarstvo vanjske trgovine i ekonomskih odnosa BiH u 2008. godini izdalo je dozvole za izvoz naoružanja i vojne opreme u vrijednosti od oko 116 miliona KM (58 miliona eura), a Uprava za indirektno oporezivanje BiH u istoj godini evidentirala je izvoz municije i naoružanja u vrijednosti od oko 42 miliona …

A memorial service in the village of Kravica, near Bratunac, in eastern Bosnia, today marked the 17th anniversary of the 1993 massacre of 49 Serb villagers. The Bosnian Muslim forces from Srebrenica, led by Naser Orić, attacked the village in January 1993, to kill the villagers and burn their homes.

The Kosovo Albanian government in Priština has “considered Serbian President Boris Tadić’s request to visit Kosovo”, said one of its officials. Deputy PM Ram Manaj said today that they also “decided to allow” for the visit to take place.

Spanish Ambassador to Belgrade Inigo Espana has announced official Madrid’s strong support to Serbia’s EU candidacy. As the country which assumed the six-month EU presidency on January 1, Spain thinks that Serbia’s candidacy should be discussed as soon as possible.

Vuk Jeremić opened the two-day Ambassadors’ Conference in the Palace of Serbia on Monday. The guest of honor at the conference was Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, who also addressed the gathering. Jeremić said that the priority of Serbia’s foreign policies in the coming year will be the continuation of …