Balkans

Kosovo’s Customs Service was regulated by the UN, until the end of 2008. Four hundred Russian policemen leave Kosovo after nine years of service under UNMIK. Russia has ended its “participation in the peaceful operation in Kosovo”, Russian UNMIK commander, Leonid Pogorelov, said today. 

Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is due in Belgrade today to meet with officials responsible for Serbia’s cooperation with the court. President of the National Council for Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajic cautioned against placing great expectations on what he said was a regular working visit. He said Brammertz would …

NATO parliamentarians express satisfaction that Croatia will soon become a member of NATO. Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader hosted a delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, headed by Assen Agov, president of the sub-committee for transatlantic relations and vice-president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO-PA). The members of the NATO-PA …

Representatives from the EU, the US, and Russia among others are meeting in Sarajevo, where they are expected to debate the international community’s future role in Bosnia and Herzegovina and confirm the country’s new top international envoy. The conference of the Peace Implementation Council started in the Bosnian capital on …

Public service unions are likely to file a lawsuit challenging a decision by the Croatian government to adopt a law that will reduce the base salary for 180,000 public service employees by six percent. Instead of cancelling collective contracts with employees, the cabinet has decided to introduce a law that …

Albania’s central bank warned the government on Wednesday against increasing budget expenditure, as this could put the macroeconomic stability of the country at risk. The central bank called for a tighter fiscal policy saying the government has no room to offer further fiscal stimulus. “This is the maximum that the …

The chief of the International Monetary Fund’s mission in Serbia Albert Jagger confirmed today at a press conference that the IMF will approve the loan arrangement with Serbia, but said the Serbian goverment must fulfill some conditions first. “These conditions are: rebalancing the budget, changes in tax regulations, and getting …

About 2,000 workers in Montenegro protested Wednesday over the possible closure of a factory owned by embattled Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, the Associated Press reported. The workers at aluminum maker KAP, the biggest Montenegrin exporter, defied a police ban and gathered in front of government headquarters to put pressure on …

Around 1,000 employees of Romania’s state-run railway company, CFR, have started a protest in Bucharest’s main railway station following government plans to scrap around 12,000 jobs this year. “Until now, our negotiations with the government have failed, but we still hope a solution will be found in order to save …

Slovenia`s Constitutional court has rejected the request of the SSN party for temporary cease raising signatures for a referendum. Slovenia`s Constitutional court has rejected the request of the Slovene People`s Party (SSN) to temporarily cease raising signatures for a referendum on Croatian NATO membership until the court passes a decision …