Balkans

Members of the European Parliament from Central and Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, have announced plans to plead in Brussels for the faster accession of their countries into the eurozone. Speeches to this effect will be made in the framework of the upcoming debate between the European Parliament and the …

As of December 19, 2009, visa regime for citizens of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro will be lifted, Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Croatian President Stjepan Mesić to discuss issues related to the property of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS).

The Republic of Srpska (RS) leaders say High Representative Valentin Inzko’s decision to extend the mandate of foreign judges and prosecutors is unacceptable. The president of the Bosnian Serb entity, Rajko Kuzmanović, on Monday described Inzko’s move as “unacceptable”, and as “a clear sign that Bosnia-Herzegovina continues to be under …

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin, said that the proclamation of the Vojvodina statute is a sign of maturity in Serbia. He said that it is also a sign of Serbia’s political will to turn itself into a modern and functional country.

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen will visit Belgrade on Wednesday, it was announced.

Albania’s opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama urged the government either to recount the ballots cast in June parliamentary elections or hold another.

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has been re-elected as leader of the governing Democratic Party (DP). The party convention voted 1.204 to 5 late on Monday to retain Berisha. He was the only candidate and will serve a four-year term. In his address to party convention, Berisha said the Democratic …

Bosnia and Herzegovina will chair the Ministerial meeting of the Adriatic group countries on Tuesday. The ministers will discuss the regional cooperation in the frameworks of the Adriatic group, NATO integration, ISAF mission as well as

Greece’s recently elected socialist government is to create a new social deal as it battles the country’s worsening financial crisis. Calling for national unity, the new administration has vowed to reduce Greece’s public debt deficit from the current 12 percent to under 3 percent by 2013.