Balkans

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, sent a letter to the heads of government of EU member states seeking their support for Macedonia’s EU accession bid. In the letter announced on Sunday the Prime Minister expressed hope that EU member states, meeting under the auspices of the EU Council on 7 December, …

The International Court of Justice, ICJ, will this Tuesday begin hearing Serbia’s challenge against Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence. Both Serbia and Kosovo voice optimism about the outcome, claiming they will present strong evidence to support their positions. “We have reason to believe that the court will base its opinion …

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia demands opening of new border checkpoints with Greece. This is what Prime Minister of FYROM Nikola Gruevski said at a meeting with his Greek counterpart in Pili on Friday. In an statement after the meeting the Greek Prime Minister Papandreou said that Gruevski had insisted …

Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Serbia needs a different approach towards Kosovo, saying the current rigid stance is not yielding results. “A different approach is what Serbia needs today…inflexibility is one of the primary problems which we face. Innovation is needed now more than ever in reaching political decisions,” …

There were no significant steps forward in the Athens-Skopje “name” row. But there were signs of improved bilateral relations after the prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia, George Papandreou and Nikola Gruevski, met on Friday afternoon in Greece near their bilateral border. “We were told that Greece keeps positions… so …

Due to ongoing political obstruction and rising ethno-nationalist tensions, western powers have opted to maintain their political and military presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but still lack a precise strategy for the country’s future, Anes Alic writes for ISN Security Watch. Following a recent meeting in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, …

I am sure that we will witness boom of Bulgarian investments in Albania in coming years. We work hard to make easier and more secured Bulgarian investors’ entering in Albania, Albanian Ambassador to Bulgaria N. Pr. Bujar Skendo said. According to him Bulgarian investors’ have keen interest in the Albanian …

I don’t believe that it will come to a veto situation, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who arrived unannounced late Thursday in Skopje, said. He believes that Gruevski-Papandreou meeting, set to be held today in the Greek part of Prespa Lake, will improve regional cooperation.

Depending on who you listen to, Roumyana Zheleva, Bulgaria’s nominee to the new European Commission is set either for a high post or humiliation when EC President Jose Barroso unveils his line-up. The names of all candidate commissioners have been confirmed officially, but negotiations and meetings about portfolios were continuing …

Serbia will apply for EU candidacy after the Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) has been unfrozen, says President Boris Tadić. Speaking in Belgrade on Thursday, he added that “time for candidacy is right when it is clear that we will get a positive answer from the EU”. “Our wish is to …