Balkans

‘Karadzic – Holbrooke deal was signed’

A deal guaranteeing immunity for Bosnian war-time leader Radovan Karadzic was agreed by US special envoy Richard Holbrooke, it has been claimed. Gojko Klickovic, who is indicted for war crimes, said he was present when an agreement was made and signed by Radovan Karadzic and Richard Holbrooke in 1996, he …

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IMF: ‘Macedonia’s Budget Needs Revising’

Macedonia’s budget needs to be urgently revised as the country spends more than it receives, the International Monetary Fund’s representative to the country, Bert Van Selm, said in the local media. He said this year’s first trimester shows a forecasted 13 per cent growth in revenue, on which the budget …

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Slovenia and Serbia Cooperate on Defence

On Wednesday, Slovenia and Serbia signed a bilateral agreement in the field of defence. The agreement defines their cooperation up until now in that field, and it enables the implementation of more interesting projects this year, said the Slovenian Minister of Defence Ljubica Jelusic at a joint press conference with …

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Inzko urges BiH parliament to accelerate legislative process

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) – High Representative Valentin Inzko met with the Collegia of both houses of parliament Tuesday (April 7th) to call for a faster legislative process. At its last session, the Peace Implementation Council blamed sluggish parliamentary work — in part — for the disappointing pace of …

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Hague tribunal rejects Karadzic’s appeal for immunity

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands – The Hague war crimes tribunal announced on Tuesday (April 7th) that its judges denied an appeal by former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for immunity from prosecution, based on a deal he allegedly had with former US envoy Richard Holbrooke. According to Karadzic, Holbrooke promised …

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Romanian soldier killed, four injured in Afghanistan

BUCHAREST, Romania – A Romanian Army officer died and four others suffered injuries in a blast in Afghanistan on Tuesday (April 7th), the defence ministry announced. Captain Iuliu-Vasile Unguras was leading a patrol on a highway linking Kandahar and Kabul. One of the vehicles ran over an improvised explosive device …

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Bulgaria Right Wing Seeks End of Dependence on Russia

Bulgaria’s two biggest opposition right-wing parties have called for a moratorium on moves that would secure the country’s dependence on Russia after the current government steps down. The statement was triggered by the Socialist-led ruling coalition’s last minute efforts to negotiate a new contract with Russian energy giant Gazprom and …

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Ahtisaari: ‘Russia Will Recognise Kosovo’

Former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari is optimistic Moscow will recognise Kosovo’s independence, now relations between the US and Russia are thawing. The man who devised the blueprint for Kosovo’s supervised independence told Voice of America that it may take “some time in order for this to happen”. “I hope that …

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Bosnian Serb Leader Warns US: ‘Stay Away’

The Premier of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska has warned the United States of America to refrain from appointing a special envoy for the troubled country. “Dodik warns Americans: stay away from the adventure,” Bosnia’s news web portal Pincom reported, quoting Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik’s statement given to journalists in Banja …

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Kosovo Marks Constitution Anniversary

Legislators from Kosovo’s assembly gathered for a special meeting on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the country’s first constitution as an independent state. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17 of last year and agreed its first constitution on April 9. The constitution emphasises minority rights and …

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