Balkans

Spaska Mitrova cannot be pardoned, Macedonian president says in letter

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.

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Violent Clash in Mitrovica

KOSOVO A violent clash broke out in Mitrovica last night, with groups of Serbs and Albanians hurling stones at each other. No injuries were reported. The incident is believed to be linked to a fight between groups of Serb and Albanian youths at a football match on Wednesday, which left …

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Students Back Demilitarisation as NATO Exercise Starts

BiH The operational phase of NATO’s first major exercise in Bosnia kicked off on Friday in the north-western town of Banja Luka, as Banja Luka University students rallied for the demilitarisation of the country. “The meetings are not in protest and we are not gathering against something or somebody. To …

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Croatia to Appeal Release of Alleged War Criminal

CROATIA Croatian Justice Minister Ivan Simonovic has not given up on the extradition or imprisonment of suspected war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic, the Croatian Times reports. Simonovic says he still believes that Vasiljkovic will be re-incarcerated or extradited to Croatia despite his seemingly imminent release from an Australian jail. The Croatian …

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Bosnia Makes No Progress on Corruption

BiH Bosnia and Herzegovina has made no recent progress in its struggle against rampant corruption, the Bosnian branch of Transparency International, TI, reports. TI presented its findings at a Sarajevo press conference on Thursday. “Bosnia and Herzegovina has not achieved progress in implementing anti-corruption reforms and, unfortunately […] it is …

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Mandat stranim sudijama i tužiocima nije produžen

BiH Predstavnički dom parlamenta BiH nije jučer usvojio u prvom čitanju izmjene zakona o Sudu BiH i Tužilaštvu BiH kojim se produžava mandat međunarodnim sudijama i tužiocima koji rade na predmetima ratnih zločina. Izmjene ovih zakona nisu dobile potrebnu većinu iz RS te će biti upućene na usaglašavanje. Mandat međunarodnim …

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Rehn: EU must recognize Serbia’s progress

SERBIA EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says the EU Council of Ministers could soon take a decision on unfreezing the Interim Trade Agreement with Serbia. Speaking at a meeting of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Rehn said that Serbia was one step away from a surefire place on the …

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“EULEX to offer Serbia two more agreements”

SERBIA Besides the protocol on police cooperation, EULEX has drafted two more agreements on cooperation with Serbia in customs and justice, says a Priština daily. Quoting unnamed sources, daily Koha Ditore writes that the protocols on cooperation in the fields of customs and justice are due to be signed by …

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Ulemek appeal continues

SERBIA The Supreme Court will continue to hear Milorad Ulemek and Zvezdan Jovanović’s appeal against their conviction for the murder of late PM Zoran Đinđić today. The public part of the trial began yesterday in a courtroom at the Belgrade District Prison with a statement by Judge Bata Cvetković (presiding) …

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