Balkans

MACEDONIA As of Tuesday, Macedonian citizens living abroad are entitled to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections, the Justice Ministry announced. The decision, made in accordance with the Electoral Code, applies to all who have Macedonian citizenship and are working or staying abroad on a temporary basis. The ministry argues …

BiH Hrvatska stranka prava (HSP) Đapić – dr Jurišić spremna je za ulazak u Vladu FBiH umjesto HDZ BiH, potvrdio je to jučer predsjednik ove stranke Zvonko Jurišić nakon sastanka čelnika HSP i SDA u Sarajevu. “Spremni smo ući u Vladu FBiH iako to možda nije najzahvalnije s obzirom na …

KOSOVO Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci says that the provincial government will continue to allocate funds for all those wishing to return to their homes in northern KM. Kosovo media report that Thaci said that the government would cooperate with “all the relevant factors“ so that reconstruction of houses in that …

HOLLAND The Hague Tribunal says Radovan Karadžić’s motion to have his sentence reduced or to receive damages for his “illegal arrest in Serbia” last year is too early. Karadžić is accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against Muslims and Croats and of taking international hostages during the war in …

SERBIA IMF representatives are set to end talks with Serbian officials on Tuesday on the second revision of the standby arrangement of €2.9 billion. The two sides are to hold a press conference today to announce the results of the agreement on Serbia’s economic policy for 2009 and 2010. So …

ALBANIA Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha slammed opposition’s decision to boycott parliament, saying it aims to hurt visa liberalization for Albania. The statement came after the opposition Socialist Party decided to boycott the constitutive session of parliament, blaming the government of election fraud. Berisha said the main objective of Socialists’ …

CROATIA Slovenian-Croatian negotiations aimed at finding solution over the border dispute are under way at rapid pace away from the public eye, said Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zogar. In order to ensure discretion and possible success in the efforts to reach a solution on the open issues with Croatia by …

MACEDONIA Lustration for all public officials in Macedonia begins Tuesday, with incumbent dignitaries to be the first to submit statements over not being involved with former secret police service. Public office holders in Macedonia are to submit within September 1-30 deadline a statement to the Commission for Verification of Facts …

BULGARIA, MACEDONIA The Bulgarian government’s policy towards Macedonia, actions of Bulgarian tourists on cleaning desecrated monument in Struga, as well as the pink BMW cars of the Bulgarian defense ministry are among the subjects related to Bulgaria in Macedonian media. Kanal 5 TV channel comments on whether the new Bulgarian …

BULGARIA Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Rumyana Zheleva was in Brussels yesterday. There she met EPP’s leaders Wilfried Martens and Joseph Daul, as well as the President of the European Parliamen Jerzy Buzek. Jerzy Buzek made it clear Bulgaria should be ready with its nomination for EU Commissioner in October, …