Balkans

The caucus of Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) deputies in Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity of Republika Srpska are boycotting the local parliament until they are granted equal voting rights. “It is logical that this will lead to the blockade of the work of the [Republika Srpska] institutions, but Bosniaks had no other choice,” …

NICOSIA The consulate of Romania’s embassy in Nicosia has been temporarily closed because its consular and diplomatic staff caught the A/H1N1 influenza virus. A statement posted on the embassy’s website says the measures have been taken “to prevent the contamination of the citizens asking for consular services, and for allowing …

The MP’s from Bulgaria’s recently elected new Parliament swore in at its first session on Tuesday. Six parties have entered Bulgaria’s top legislative body – Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov’s center-right GERB, the Socialist-led Coalition for Bulgaria, the Movement for rights and Freedoms, the Blue Coalition, far right nationalists ATAKA and …

ZAGREB Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor has told Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov that Zagreb supports Skopje’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Kosor said that the deadlock in Croatia’s negotiating process with the European Union had negatively impacted on the countries of South-East Europe, according to a statement from the Croatian government.

ZAGREB Croatian President Stjepan Mesić says that his country remains committed to regional cooperation and removing all obstacles in the way of such cooperation. 

Now is the right moment for a compromise solution to the row between Athens and Skopje over Macedonia’s name, the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said on Tuesday in Skopje. During talks with Macedonia’s Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, Solana urged the leadership to do everything in its power …

The Young European Federalist Movement, JEF, has criticized the EU visa liberalisation policy towards the Western Balkans, arguing that it could potentially create new divisions and anti-EU sentiments by leaving out Muslim minorities. The European Commission will ask the EU Council this week to offer visa-free travel to citizens of …

Belgrade is considering recognising Kosovo’s independence, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci claimed today. Kosovo’s government spokesman, Memli Krasniqi, confirmed to Balkan Insight that Thaci told Belgrade journalists today that Serbia was considering recognising Kosovo as a country.

BELGRADE, Serbia EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana visited Belgrade on Monday (July 13th) and insisted there will be no new conditions on Serbia’s path towards the EU. Sceptics have long believed that at some point, Serbia will be forced to acknowledge Kosovo’s independence to become an EU member.

ZAGREB, Croatia Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov said Skopje will reply to UN mediator Matthew Nimetz’s latest proposals on the name dispute with Greece by the end of August. After a meeting in Croatia with his counterpart Stipe Mesic on Monday (July 13th), Ivanov welcomed Athens’ willingness to resolve the row …