Balkans

Slovene President: Rehn’s Proposal Needs Balancing

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor and President Danilo Tuerk on Monday advocated the “balancing” of EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn’s proposal about solving the border dispute with Croatia. They announced changes to the text of the agreement the Croatian parliament had already adopted last week. – If an agreement on …

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Djelic: economic crisis won’t stall Serbia’s EU bid

BELGRADE, Serbia The economic crisis will not affect Serbia’s EU accession process, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said on Saturday (May 9th). While acknowledging that the financial crisis has an impact, he noted that several EU officials — including Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn — have made clear …

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Greek MP resigns over probe

ATHENS, Greece Former Transport Minister Christos Verelis resigned on Friday (May 8th) as a parliament member representing the main opposition party PASOK, media reported. The catalyst was the launch of a corruption investigation into the purchase of 140 trolley buses in 2001, when he was transport minister. The Athens-Piraeus Electric …

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Albania’s Topi calls for independent judicial system

TIRANA, Albania Politics should remain separate from the judicial system, while justice means treating all citizens equally and fairly, President Bamir Topi said on Sunday (May 10th). He was hosting an event marking the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the Albanian justice system. Topi thanked judges, prosecutors and the …

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Serbs Reach Deal to End Kosovo Violence

Serbs have ended weeks of protests in northern Kosovo after reaching an agreement with the UN Mission to the country, UNMIK, Serbian media report. According to Tanjug news agency, Serbs in the north of the divided town of Mitrovica stated that they reached an agreement with the international community representatives …

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Macedonia President Swears Oath of Office

At a parliament ceremony, Tuesday, Georgi Ivanov, took an oath to became Macedonia’s fourth democratically elected head of state in the country’s 18-year history. The ceremony kicked-off at midday with the national anthem, followed by the taking of the oath and the President’s inaugural speech. In that speech, Ivanov stated …

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Albanians Call for Macedonian Presidential Boycott

The Students’ Parliament of the State University in Tetovo, DUT, called for an all out Albanian boycott of Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony of Macedonia’s new President Georgi Ivanov. The students appealed to the heads of the ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia, and Albanian President Bamir Topi to boycott the swear-in ceremony …

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Bosnia Set to Miss EU’s Visa-Free Train

Bosnia and Herzegovina legs behind all other Balkan countries in implementing reforms that would enable establishment of visa-free regime with EU countries, officials and media said on Tuesday. “Macedonia and Serbia has gone much further in the implementation of conditions for a visa-free regime. Bosnia and Herzegovina is lagging behind, …

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Up to 20 Injured in Kosovo Serb Clashes

Up to twenty people were injured Sunday in clashes between Kosovo’s police and Serbs, sparked by electricity cuts. The protests began at the eastern village of Gjilan/Gnjilane, when police say protesters gathered and blocked the Gjilane/Gnjilane-Bujanovac road. Kosovo Police said that ten policemen were injured as around 300 Serbs threw …

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