Balkans

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) EUFOR troops on Friday (May 8th) searched the homes of two relatives of war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic. Authorities say the searches, in the in the town Bijeljina, involved the homes of relatives Rajko and Radoslav Banduka. Rajko Banduka is also a former military associate …

ZAGREB, Croatia Parliament member Branimir Glavas received a ten-year prison sentence on Friday (May 8th) for war crimes committed against Serb civilians during Croatia’s war of independence in the early 1990s.

PODGORICA, Montenegro President Filip Vujanovic formally proposed that incumbent Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic serve a sixth term Thursday (May 7th). According to Vujanovic, Djukanovic is the best person to lead Montenegro through the economic crisis and guide it to its ultimate goal of EU membership. The coalition led by Djukanovic’s …

TIRANA, Albania Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha on Thursday (May 7th) promised government support to Albanian immigrants living in Greece. Meeting with their representatives in Tirana, Basha stressed that the government expects to reach an agreement soon with Athens authorities regarding social insurance and pensions for Albanian immigrants in Greece. Other …

PRISTINA, Kosovo The government announced Thursday (May 7th) that it is launching the process of fulfilling criteria to achieve visa liberalisation with EU countries. Acknowledging that the non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence by five EU member states will

PRISTINA, Kosovo EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon said Thursday (May 7th) that it is everyone’s right to return to their homes. His comment came during a meeting with Mitrovica Mayor Bajram Rexhepi, in which they discussed the political and security situation in the divided city. Serbs have been protesting this …

SARAJEVO Bosnia’s defence minister yesterday defended the country’s decision to send troops to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercises in Georgia, a move that has provoked new tension with the Bosnian Serb leadership. 

Political corruption remains a huge problem for Bulgaria while the country cannot benefit from its EU membership and European topics are absent from the public dialogue. These are some of the opinions voiced Friday by European Union (EU) Member States’ Ambassadors to Bulgaria and other diplomats.

Ambassadors negotiating political settlement to end protests in Mitrovica. Senior diplomats and analysts have praised EULEX’s handling of its first major challenge in northern Kosovo. The EU rule-of-law mission has used tear gas and, on one occasion, used stun grenades against Serbian protesters opposed to the reconstruction of Albanian homes …

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik caused a new diplomatic and political scandal, by calling off ethnic Serb soldiers from NATO exercises in Georgia, local media reported on Friday. “Bosnia and Herzegovina has no reason to participate in this (exercise),” Dodik, who is Premier of the Serb-dominated Bosnian entity of Republika …