Eurasia

Around 1,000 ethnic Albanians demonstrated in the southern town of Bujanovac, demanding Belgrade remove the memorial which they see as provocative.Protesters at Friday’s rally carried Albanian flags and placards accusing Serbia of discrimination. They called on Belgrade to take down the monument to Serbian police killed during the Kosovo conflict …

Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have issued a call for a renewed EU commitment to the Western Balkan enlargement process.Hannes Swoboda, president of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said enlargement momentum should be stimulated again so that the Western Balkans could join the European Union. …

Kosovo MPs have asked Prime Minister Hashim Thaci to give parliament more information about the ongoing EU-led dialogue with Serbia.The opposition Democratic League of Kosovo has demanded more clarity about the character of agreements being reached with Serbia in the EU-led dialogue in Brussels. “Any agreements between the two states …

In a light-hearted response to British fears of mass immigration from Romania next year, a newspaper has launched a campaign inviting British people to come to Romania instead.“Half of our women look like Kate. The other half like her sister.” Kate, of course, is Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William …

The junior coalition partner of the country’s ruling Democratic Party of Socialists says it cannot support the idea of Filip Vujanovic running again for the presidency.The Social Democratic Party has said it will not support the nomination of the current Montenegrin president, Filip Vujanovic, for another term in office. “He …

Disturbed by EU-led talks between Serbia and Kosovo, locals in the Serb-run north of Kosovo held a protest in Mitrovica to remind the world that they want no part of independent Kosovo.Serbs from the north of Kosovo staged a protest in the divided town of Mitrovica on Wednesday, holding banners …

After more than a year’s delay, Serbian and Bosnian prosecutors finally endorsed an agreement to work together to prosecute war crime cases.“From now on, for war criminals in the region, there are no borders behind which they can hide. Now we have the opportunity to efficiently protect the rights of …

The UN mediator in the ‘name’ dispute, Matthew Nimetz, sounded optimistic after wrapping up a fresh round of talks with both sides in New York – but provided no details.After a two-hour joint meeting with Macedonia’s negotiator, Zoran Jolevski and Greece’s Adamantios Vassilakis, UN mediator Nimetz said he saw signs …

Human Rights Watch said Balkan states were still not properly addressing issues like war crimes, the abuse of ethnic minorities and refugees’ rights to return home.There was no significant improvement in human rights protection in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo and Serbia in 2012, the New York-based campaign group said in …

Prime Minister Ivica Dacic wants to punish a TV crew who subjected him to public ridicule by conning him into a fake interview with a semi-naked model.Ivica Toncev, the prime minister’s special adviser for national security, said on Thursday that Dacic was taking legal action against those who violated the …