Balkans

The campaign for the first Kosovo local elections since the province unilaterally declared independence in February last year will begin on November 15. 74 parties, coalitions and citizens’ movements are taking part in the ballot. They include 37 Kosovo Albanian and 21 Serb lists.

International High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Valentin Inzko thinks it is time for further steps when it comes to the Dayton Accords. “Dayton is definitely the best Constitution that could have been written in an airport in the space of three weeks, because, above all, it put an end to the …

European Commission Director for the Western Balkans Pierre Mirel says that all EU member-states have agreed to begin visa liberalization dialogue with Kosovo. He submitted a progress report and feasibility study on Kosovo to senior officials in Priština yesterday.

Germany has decided to return 14,000 refugees from Kosovo to their homeland, 10 years after the war, writes Suddeutsche Zeitung. There are currently over 14,000 refugees from Kosovo, who have had their applications for permanent residency turned down, awaiting deportation. All individuals without permanent residency status in Germany, and who …

Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on Chinese and Bulgarian entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity and strive to give a new boost to trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. Xi, who arrived in Sofia on Wednesday, the third leg of his current five-nation European tour, …

The war crimes trial of Radovan Karadzic, who led Bosnian Serbs into a 1992-1995 war that killed 100,000 people, will start on October 26 in The Hague, judges ordered on Thursday. Karadzic, 64, who has unsuccessfully tried to have the trial delayed and have charges against him dropped, faces life …

International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission arrives at Skopje on Thursday, Macedonian media informed. IMF’s experts will make analyses all macroeconomic indexes to work out a recommendation report to the Macedonian government. According to Macedonian Financial Ministry it is a regular visit of IMF mission to Skopje.

People celebrated on the streets of Skopje as news came through Wednesday that the European Commission, EC, had recommended that Macedonia begin EU accession talks. Some paraded in cars through the streets of the capital honking and waving the Macedonian and EU flags. Others gathered in front of the government …

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic says that Serbia will consider applying for EU membership unless the EU unblocks the Interim Trade Agreement soon. “If in October and December there is no progress, and the trade deal isn’t applied, the agreement with the EC and our European partners is to review …

Serbia’s premier and foreign minister, Mirko Cvetkovic and Vuk Jeremic, have expressed their satisfaction with the annual European Commission, EC, report on their country’s reform progress. The report states that Serbia has maintained its European orientation and improved cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, despite …