Balkans

Having assumed the rotating presidency of the SEDM (Southeast Europe Defence Ministerial Process) on 15 July 2009, Bulgaria will hold meetings of the political-military steering committee of the southeast Europe multinational peace force and of the co-ordination committee of SEDM. Attending will be members of the SEDM, in parallel with …

The new Ambassador of Finland to Bulgaria, Tarja Laitiainen, presented last week her credentials to the President of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov. The ceremony was followed by a discussion with President Parvanov in the resplendent Presidential Palace. After the discussion, the Finnish National Anthem was played in an outstanding way in …

Bulgaria is to press forward with constructing the Belene nuclear power station should finding issues be resolved. Belene was begun in 1987, but a lack of finance halted the project by 1991.

The ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, might leave the government if the prime minister fails to clearly condemn a controversial Macedonian encyclopaedia. Referring to his party’s leader, DUI Vice President Rafiz Aliti told reporters Monday: “If [Ali] Ahmeti decides, we are ready to leave our posts at once.”

European Commission, EC, Vice-President Jacques Barrot says the EC will suggest that the EU Council include Serbia in the bloc’s visa-free regime should a technical mission’s report prove positive. “Serbian Interior Ministry Ivica Dacic handed me a report on Serbia’s progress on the visa liberalisation roadmap this morning, which Serbia …

Albania’s Education Ministry said Tuesday that a history textbook for twelfth graders, which was excoriated by the press and opposition, will be rewritten. “Every mistake in the textbooks will be corrected within the year,” Education Minister Myqerem Tafaj said in a statement.

Uprava kompanije “Energoinvest” iz Sarajeva prepustila je bez naknade svojim kćerkama firmama oko 77 miliona KM vrijednu imovinu.Pokazala je to dosadašnja istraga o poslovanju kompanije “Energoinvest” koju provodi Kantonalno tužilaštvo u Sarajevu. Većina ovih firmi kćerki je privatizirana, a novi vlasnici dobili su i ovu imovinu.

Članovi Komisije za izbor teksta himne BiH za svoj angažman dobit će 33.000 KM, odnosno svaki član od njih 11 po 3.000 KM. U radu ove komisije učestvovalo je šest državnih poslanika i delegata, te pet istaknutih kulturnih i javnih djelatnika. “Komisija je pregledala i proanalizirala 339 prijavljenih radova. Napominjemo …

Ambasadori zemalja članica Vijeća za implementaciju mira (PIC) u BiH na jučerašnjoj sjednici u Sarajevu ocijenili su da zaključci Vlade RS o povlačenju predstavnika ovog entiteta iz “Elektroprenosa BiH” ozbiljno osporavaju neke aspekte Dejtonskog sporazuma. “Pozivajući Vladu RS, a posebno Narodnu skupštinu RS, da ponovo razmisle o pravcu u kojem …

EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon says he believes cooperation with Belgrade, “even if minimal”, is necessary. This, the head of the EU mission in Kosovo told AFP, concerns solving “cross-border issues”. Kermabon also stated that people, drug, oil and cigarette trafficking activities have intensified, “especially in northern Kosovo, which is …