Balkans

Kosovo’s exports have almost halved in February 2009 compared to the same period last year. Figures from Kosovo’s statistical institution reveal a drop of 45 per cent in exports and a worsening trade balance. The country’s exports during February 2009 were worth €7.7 million, down from €14.1 million 12 months …

The Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, marked the day it was liberated from Nazi occupation with traffic chaos – and the opening of a landmark shopping and business centre. “Sarajevo under siege again,” screamed a report by the city newspaper Oslobodjenje on Tuesday, comparing traffic chaos with the four-year, war-time siege of …

The Sarajevo international airport was closed for some 50 minutes on Monday after an anonymous tip about a bomb planted at the airport. Luckily, the tip was a false alarm, the Dnevni avaz daily reported. The information centre of the Sarajevo international airport received an anonymous tip at around 3:20pm …

BELGRADE, Serbia – NATO is ready to improve its relations with Serbia, but Serbia’s accession into NATO is entirely a domestic decision, outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Saturday (April 4th).

PRISTINA, Kosovo – Italy will neither withdraw its troops from KFOR nor reduce its staff in the mission, local media quoted Italian government officials as saying on Monday (April 6th). Italy will not make any move in that direction without a decision by NATO, Italian Deputy Defence Minister Giuseppe Cossiga …

ZAGREB, Croatia – Radimir Cacic, chairman of the Croatian People’s Party (HNS), a smaller opposition party, said on Saturday (April 4th) that he is conducting talks with officials from the main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) over a potential coalition in the Zagreb municipal council, following the May 17th local …

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The European Commission (EC) has decided to delay its decision over releasing 143m euros in funds under the ISPA pre-accession programme until the end of May, local media reports said Sunday (April 5th).

TIRANA, Albania – Opposition party leaders said on Sunday (April 5th) the country’s accession into NATO is an achievement for all Albanians, who did what it took to merit membership.

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Xhevat Ademi, deputy leader of the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), criticised on Saturday (April 4th) Macedonia’s “lack of willingness” to reach an agreement with Greece in the long-standing name dispute.

The Bulgarian government has asked Russia to avoid using Bulgaria’s gas pipeline network for transit purposes in its South Stream project. Thus, Russia will have to build a separate gas pipeline in Bulgaria, Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy, Yavor Kuyumdzhiev, stated in an interview on Bulgarian National Radio late …