Balkans

The global financial crisis could lead to staff cuts in international missions operating in Kosovo and may mean more power devolving to local authorities. Kosovo’s authorities will exercise more power as international missions shrink in size under the impact of the global economical downturn, experts say. The latest example comes …

The US ambassador to Greece, Daniel Speckhard voiced hope that the burning Athens-Skopje name row will be solved in 2010, local media reported on Friday. Ambassador Speckhard noted this in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center, on the theme “Resilience and Transition: Resetting US- Greece Relations,” the local Makfax …

Romanian Foreign Minister, Cristian Diaconescu, on Friday said he is “concerned and worried” due to the situation of Romanian nationals, who are “systematically” denied access to neighboring Moldova. “I have requested an explanation from the Moldovan Foreign Ministry regarding the reasons why Romanian nationals are systematically denied access to Moldova. …

The presidential candidates of the ruling party and the opposition who entered the second round of Macedonia’s election can not count on securing the votes of runners-up, Imer Selmani and Ljube Boskoski. The two runners-up stated they will not give their backing to either candidate in the second round or …

Kosovo Liberation Army Veterans have sent a letter to Serbian war veterans pledging for peace, good neighbour relations and urging all to refrain from nationalist rhetoric. “Your organisation foresees the preservation of “Ethnic Serbia” borders, while you know that 90 percent of the population in Kosovo are Albanians,” reads the …

The Hague Tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is due to meet Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic on the second day of his trip to Belgrade. Brammertz arrived in Serbia on Thursday and met Serbian President Boris Tadic, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and the President of the National Council for …

Slovenia announced Thursday that it will introduce one-week motorway stickers, following criticism from Brussels that the longer-term passes discriminated against foreign visitors. “The government will propose amending the current law on roads in order to introduce seven-day vignettes at a price of €15,” Transport Minister Patrick Vlacic told journalists.

Bulgarian students are more often drunk and smoke a lot more than the majority of their European fellows. The European school and research project on alcohol and other drugs 2007 survey report was presented on late Thursday. The survey showed that 24 percent of students in Bulgaria have tried illegal …

Churches and religious communities in Serbia are planning to join forces again to prevent the adoption of a Law on organ transplants, Balkan Insight has learned from a senior official from the Catholic Church. Right now there’s only a working version, draft of this law, which means it is far …

Croatia’s economy posted a surprising mild rise in the last quarter, data showed on Friday, but analysts said there was no doubt it was poised for a serious downturn this year. Analysts had expected a first contraction since 1999 but the state statistics office reported a year-on-year quarterly rise of …