Balkans

STRASBOURG, France EU membership prospects drive stability and reform in the Western Balkans, the European Parliament (EP) said in a report published on Friday (April 24th). It stressed that full-fledged EU membership of countries that have met the Copenhagen criteria should not be prolonged or rejected. It warned that different …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) The state court in Sarajevo on Friday (April 24th) pressed charges against former Federation of BiH (FBiH) Prime Minister Edhem Bicakcic and former Finance Minister Dragan Covic for embezzling nearly 4m euros. Investigators say that between 1999 and 2000, when the pair were in office, …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj predicted on Friday (April 24th) that BiH may wrap up its EU accession talks in 2015,despite its various problems both within BiH and the EU. “BiH will need at least four years to become a member,” he said.

SOFIA, Bulgaria Officials wrapped up a two-day energy summit in Sofia on Saturday (April 25th) by saying uninterrupted supplies of natural gas and finding alternative routes for moving it from the Caspian region are preconditions to strengthening energy security. In a joint declaration, participants said strategic energy partnership and co-operation …

The Russian Company Atomstroyexport (ASE) and France’s Areva signed an agreement for their participation in the construction of the planned 4.0 billion euro nuclear power plant at Belene, Bulgaria, the Russian energy ministry announced. The move comes after Germany’s Siemens pulled out of its CARSIB consortium with Areva, which was …

Some 100 Serbs have protested on Saturday in Mitrovica’s North against the reconstruction process of houses in Kroi I Vitkaut/Brdani neighborhood, populated by local Albanians. The protesters, who gathered around at 10 am, attempted to penetrate by force the police cordon to reach the location where the reconstruction process has …

Kosovo’s Premier, Hashim Thaci declared that Greece will recognise Kosovo’s independence in the “not so distant future”. This declaration was issued during Thaci’s visit to Skopje on Saturday during which Kosovo’s government declared that Macedonia and Kosovo are to establish diplomatic relations very soon. According to him, Macedonia’s recognition of …

A Belgrade daily, Blic, reports that alleged decisions to send Serbian Army, SA, members to take part in NATO exercises in Georgia are ‘not true’. “The truth is that our soldiers will not go to Georgia and we have notified the Russian Ambassador in Belgrade about this,” a source with …

Despite the gloomy predicament of the global financial crisis, Bulgaria is predicting to have a 1 per cent budget surplus in 2009. Plamen Oresharski, Bulgarian Minister of Finance, Plamen Oresharski, is assuring the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank of a 1 per cent surplus, during his meeting with …

Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence is unlikely to influence other Islamic countries, experts claim. Christian Le Mière, Editor of Jane’s Intelligence Review and a senior foreign affairs expert, told Balkan Insight that there is little chance that Riyadh’s decision will result in a flurry of recognitions from neighbouring states. …