Balkans

KOSOVO Nobel laureate Marti Ahtisaari has warned the EU that the failure of Balkan and EU states to recognise Kosovo stands as a bulwark against the bloc’s future expansion. “Those countries that have been in conflict in the past have to be able to see the reality, and […] have …

KOSOVO The long-awaited statue of former President Bill Clinton will be unveiled in Pristina at the end of month, the team behind the tribute has said. Agim Rexhepi, head of the Friends of the USA asociation, which has previously hosted many events to show gratitude to the US for its …

ALBANIA Albanian opposition the Socialist Party said on Saturday that it will boycott the first session of the country’s new parliament set for Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. Opposition lawmakers met Saturday and called for an investigation into the conduct by the ruling Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha …

HOLLAND The prosecution hasn’t shown any serious intention to reduce the scope of this mega trial – Karadzic states in his letter to ICTY Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said on Friday that, due to large number of documents and testimonies he needs to read, he requires additional 14.171 …

CROATIA ‘Captain Dragan’, a man accused of war crimes, was released after three years spent in an Australian prison ‘Captain Dragan’, was released after three years spent in an Australian prison. Ivan Simonovic, Croatia’s Minister of Justice, plans to appeal against it. Dragan Vasiljkovic, better known as ‘Captain Dragan’, was …

SERBIA Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić has ordered a probe after the media reported that Montenegro’s candidate for ambassador to Serbia was “unwelcome”. The “urgent investigation” will include “everyone”: from his cabinet chief to the ministry’s human resources clerks, Belgrade daily Večenje Novosti writes. But the ministry officials were not available …

KOSOVO Sweden has criticized the Kosovo government because of the ethnic Albanian leaders’ opposition to a planned protocol between EULEX and Belgrade. Such behavior, a spokeswoman for the Swedish foreign ministry was quoted as saying, “is not in the spirit of Kosovo’s European aspirations”. Cecilia Julin also said that EU …

MACEDONIA The Minister of Transport and Communication Mile Janakievski resigned due to moral reasons. The Minister’s resignation is due to today’s boat accident at Ohrid Lake and according to latest information the number of victims is 22. Janakievski’s resignation was expected. According to government sources,his resignation won’t be accepted, due …

BULGARIA In an interview with The Capital Weekly Rumyana Zheleva, Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that Bulgaria entered the EU with deficits in two fields – justice and home affairs. In due time problems occurred with the appropriation of EU funds. Somehow those problems intertwined leading to its bad …

BULGARIA Only 39% of the ISPA money has been absorbed over the last nine years and the 2010 deadline is just round the corner. This is what the Minister of Transport Alexander Tsvetkov announced. Minister Tsvetkov pointed out the percentage for OP Transport was 1.5%. In his words, Bulgaria needed …