Balkans

Mobile frontier police units at the Kulata border crossing points have been doubled and are operational round-the-clock to thwart illegal imports of fruits and vegetables from Greece. The latest development was announced by the Bulgarian finance and deputy prime minister Simeon Dyankov. “These are some of the measures which the …

In an interview with bTV television on August 10, Bulgaria’s Minister without portfolio, responsible for Bulgarians abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov responded to the Spaska Mitrova case in Macedonia. As reported earlier by The Sofia Echo, Mitrova is a Bulgarian national who has allegedly been sentenced to three months in jail for …

VIENNA A former EU envoy in the talks on the Kosovo status says he does not expect Belgrade to recognize “even in the best case scenario”. Stefan Lehne believes that Belgrade and Priština should establish practical cooperation, and that “different political stands on the independence of Kosovo should be put …

PRIŠTINA Newly appointed NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will visit Kosovo on August 13, an Albanian language daily writes. Zeri newspaper says that Rasmussen will meet in Priština with KFOR commander Gen. Giuseppe Emilio Gay to discuss the security situation. He will also be meeting with Kosovo President Fatmir …

WASHINGTON, BELGRADE U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that his country is against “any kind of partition of Kosovo”. “I can tell you that our policy remains unchanged,” Toner said, according to Albanian language media in Priština. He said that he is not familiar with the idea of Republican …

NOVI SAD Opposition Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) President Čedomir Jovanović believes that Serbia has “the slowest and least organized government in Europe”. According to him, it’s a government with too many members who are afraid of taking risks and too few of those who have any ambitions.

Belgrade should make decisions on the issuance of passports to Kosovo residents, Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic says. “We have received with sorrow the news that visa liberalisation will not include Kosovo and Metohija residents, but the EC [European Commission] considers that the conditions for people in Kosovo to travel …

Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has rejected a planned tax hike, saying it is illegal and will hurt the poor, news agency Javno reports. A statement from his office said that Mesic sent the tax bill to the Constitutional Court on Monday, arguing the legislation: “does not respect the principles of …

The Serbian government will choose the best possible moment for submitting its EU membership request, which will occur by year’s end, a top Serbian official told daily Blic. The director of the EU Integration Office in Serbia, Milica Delevic, told the daily on Sunday: “This shows the desire to speed …

PRISTINA, Kosovo Saudi Arabia has recognised Kosovo’s independence, the Kosovo foreign ministry announced on Friday (August 7th). The ministry’s statement said the two countries have already signed an agreement to set up diplomatic representation. Over 60 countries have recognised Kosovo since it declared independence last February.