Balkans

BOSNIA The US is concerned about the current situation in Bosnia and its leaders’ commitment to securing EU and NATO membership, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Stuart E. Jones said. “The American government is concerned because we haven’t seen practical actions which reflect [Bosnian officials’] commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration,” …

MACEDONIA Macedonia has a serious chance of receiving a recommended start date for EU accession talks this autumn if the positive progress of recent months continues, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says. Rehn’s comments come only a month before the European Commission, EC, prepares its annual report on the country’s …

ALBANIA Albania’s conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha and former Socialist premier Ilir Meta signed a coalition agreement on Wednesday, shaping the core of the cabinet that will govern the country for the next four years. The deal has been two months in the making and was announced after Berisha’s right-wing …

SERBIA The EU Council of Ministers could soon unblock the Interim Trade Agreement with Serbia, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says. “The authorities in Serbia continue to work hard on achieving the necessary reforms. At the same time, Serbia is unilaterally applying the interim trade agreement too, despite the economic …

GREECE Recent news updates from leading Greek media citing commentary and exclusive information from high-level police and security circles indicate that arrests are underway regarding domestic terrorist groups that have managed over the past 5 years to launch impressive attacks against a variety of state, diplomatic and police targets. According …

BiH Darko Elez, trojica policijskih službenika u BiH, kao i još 17 osoba uhapšeni su u Srbiji i BiH zbog sumnje da su kao pripadnici zločinačke organizacije odgovorni za više ubistava, trgovinu drogom i oružjem, iznude, razbojništva i druga djela. Elez je označen kao vođa ove kriminalne grupe, koja je …

SERBIA The Supreme Court is to consider the appeals of Milorad Ulemek and Zvezdan Jovanović, found guilty of the murder of late Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. The Supreme Court’s public session, where it is due to consider the appeal, is scheduled for September 8 in the special courtroom at the …

HOLLAND The trial of seven former Republic of Srpska Army (VSR) officers, accused of genocide and war crimes, will hear closing arguments at the Hague Tribunal. The prosecutor will start his final argument today, at the end of a process that started in July 2006. RFE reports that the court …

BiH The Woman-War Victim association has filed a suit under urgent procedure against Republic of Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. Dodik’s statement that his condition for Constitutional change would be the abolition of the Bosnian Court and Prosecution “confirms that he cannot face the truth, and that he is …

MACEDONIA Macedonia is determined to pursue reforms not only for its relationship with Brussels and EU membership aspirations but also for its own society, senior Macedonian official said. Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki made the remarks at a press conference in Skopje after meeting his Czech counterpart Jan Kohout. The interlocutors …