Balkans

George Ivanov from the main ruling VMRO DPMNE party maintains a lead according to early results from Macedonia’s Presidential election although he is likely to face a run-off vote in two weeks time. Out of 98 percent of the counted votes, Ivanov is the frontrunner with about 340,000 votes or …

The first round of Sunday’s presidential and mayoral election in Macedonia met most international standards, western monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe say. The poll was “well administered and free of the violent incidents that clouded last year’s parliamentary elections,” the OSCE said. Election day was …

NATO’s air attack on the former Yugoslavia a decade ago was “the right thing to do” and had improved the lives of Kosovo Albanians and Serbs, the US envoy Richard Holbrooke argues. Speaking at the Brussels Forum conference on Saturday, Holbrooke, a former envoy to the Balkans and currently United …

Spain says the withdrawal of its troops from Kosovo is flexible after receiving criticism from NATO concerning their previous plans to pull their troops in the next four or five months. “Defence Minister Carmen Chacon will meet NATO’s Secretary General next week to explain the reasons for the withdrawal and …

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister is to urge the United Nations Mission in Kosovo to wrap up its administration at a UN Security Council meeting later in Monday. Kosovo will be represented by UNMIK chief, Lamberto Zannier and Foreign Minister, Skender Hyseni. The chief of Kosovo’s diplomacy will also discuss the security …

Croatia should tone down its bellicose rhetoric urges Slovenia President as a border row between the two countries threatens to undermine Croatia’s bid to join NATO and the European Union. “At this moment I see too much loud diplomacy, too many expressions that harm good relations. I think we should …

US State Secretary Hillary Clinton has cheered Bosnia’s parliament for making headway in adopting amendments on the disputed Brcko district but also echoed concerns that bitter ethnic rivalries could block the country’s path to EU and NATO membership. “The United States of America remain committed to seeing the future advance …

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has hailed his visit to Serbia over the weekend as significant in reviving dialogue between the one-time bitter foes, and likened their relationship to that of France and Germany. Speaking to Serbia’s state news agency, Tanjug, Sanader said Serbia and Croatia had a difficult past …

The new leader of Romania’s main opposition party, Crin Antonescu, has said his main task is to rally his centre-right Liberal Party (PNL) to take on Traian Basescu who is expected to run in the presidential election later this year. “My mission is to represent liberal values in the future …

The UN presence in Kosovo is viewed as unnecessary by Kosovar Albanians and their mandate meaningless in Kosovo’s working as a state, argues Kosovo’s deputy Prime Minister. Hajredin Kuci emphasised that Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence in 2008, the installment of the constitution, the passing of new legislation, and the deployment …