Balkans

RUSSIA, ROMANIA The Russian and Romanian Foreign Ministries have expressed their concern with the situation in Kosovo. Andrei Nesterenko from the Russian Foreign Ministry said that “considerable conflict potential“ persisted in Kosovo, and that he expected international community representatives to act impartially to prevent “new anti-Serb provocation.“

SERBIA The OSCE has confirmed that there have been many cases of Serbs’ property in Kosovo being sold off without their knowledge, often with forged papers and stamps. “As they’re not there, displaced persons do not find out about these transactions until some time later,” states an OSCE report published …

AUSTRALIA Dragan Vasiljković, better known as Captain Dragan, who is wanted in Croatia for war crimes, has been released from prison in Australia. Vasiljković has spent four years in custody waiting for a decision on his extradition to Croatia. His appeal against extradition was upheld after the Australian Federal Court …

SERBIA The Commission for Establishing Truth about the Murder of Dragoljub Mihailović has dismissed press speculation that he is buried on Ada Ciganlija. “Information published in certain media that the Commission for Establishing Truth about the Murder of Dragoljub Mihailović received information from military intelligence about the site of his …

BULGARIA Bulgaria has expected confirmation Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov cannot meet Spaska Mitrova’s mother request and pardon her daugther, deputy foreign minister Marin Raykov said. “I am still waiting to see such letter has been received by her family. Of course, both we and the Bulgarian society will draw conclusions …

BULGARIA “The Council of Ministers passed a decree for cutting the expenses at the institutions and increasing the revenues collectability. It is expected for the measures to secure balanced budget by the end of 2009. The measures envisaging restriction of the expenses met the positive evaluation of the participants at …

HOLLAND Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said on Friday he needs precisely 14,171 extra hours to prepare his defense against charges of war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, because of the sheer scope of documents and testimony that must be reviewed. Karadzic’s request comes days after prosecutors …

MACEDONIA Macedonian Justice Minister Mihajlo Manevski declared he will not hand in his resignation. Manevski made a statement for the newspaper in reference to the information that international representatives have required for Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to dismiss the minister because of the way he works and the serious remarks …

MACEDONIA Almost half of the 240 members of the Macedonian parliament have declared that they have not collaborated to the secret services in the first three days of the lustration process.

MACEDONIA Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has sent a letter to the mother of Spaska Mitrova, explaining to her that he cannot meet her request and pardon her daughter – Gevgelija resident, who has a Bulgarian passport, without referring the case to the authorities in charge.