Balkans

SERBIA Voting in the local parliamentary elections for the municipalities of Priština and Peć was repeated at two polling stations on Sunday. Coordinator of the Election Commission (RIK) Veljko Odalović told Tanjug news agency that both stations closed last night without any noticeable irregularities. Some 80 percent of the resident …

KOSOVO Newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador in Priština Christopher Dell says his country’s policy towards Kosovo “remains unchanged”. According to the diplomat, “Kosovo’s independence is irreversible”. Upon presenting Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdui with his credentials, Dell pointed out that the basis of the American policy towards Kosovo is “simple and unambiguous”. 

SERBIA Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac said that cooperation between Serbian military officials and the Ohio National Guard is important. After visiting an elementary school near Soko Banja, which Serbian military members and members of the Ohio National Guard are working to help reconstruct, Šutanovac said that they had been cooperating …

MONTENEGRO Montenegrin FM Milan Roćen has welcomed the initiative of his Serbian counterpart for a meeting of the foreign ministers of all former Yugoslav countries. They would discuss prospects for Serbia to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in 2011, on the 50th anniversary of the organization.

MONTENEGRO Former chief of the Montenegrin trade mission in Washington, Ratko Knežević, said that he can prove his allegations regarding cigarette smuggling activities. “My publicly stated claims in the media will once again be confirmed officials, and the material evidence which I have will be submitted,” Knežević said regarding the …

MACEDONIA August 28 will be a non-working holiday for believers of Orthodox religion who celebrate the national holiday Assumption of Holy Mother of God. Macedonian Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare said the non-working day is in line with the law on national holidays. The Ministry also congratulates the holiday …

GREECE Hundreds Greek fire fighters were deployed in the wildfires nearby Athens and together with the support of foreign teams and planes they managed to localize the fire, which destroyed almost everything around the capital. The situation improves; there is no active front in the region of Athens, the Spokesperson …

BULGARIA Customs and tax officials will be checking all goods entering or leaving Bulgaria to and from its two European Union neighbours Greece and Romania, Bulgarian-language Trud daily said on August 24 2009. Checks will cover all nine of Bulgaria’s border checkpoints with the EU. Since January 2007, when Bulgaria …

BULGARIA Bulgaria should take advantage in the best possible way of the opportunities to develop and participate in common European energy projects, Foreign Minister Rumyana Zheleva said at a press conference. Bulgaria is reviewing to what extent it can participate in the energy projects amid an economic crisis, she said …

BULGARIA Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Rumyana Zheleva presented her team. The Minister outlined positioning Bulgaria in the center of the European policy as a priority. This means to restore Bulgaria’s access to the European funds. The Ministry is also establishing a portfolio for European Integration and European Affairs. Developing …