Eurasia

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed forming a “Eurasian Union” of former Soviet nations, saying the bloc could become a major global player competing for influence with the United States, the European Union and Asia.

Advisers of the Integrated Border Management Program in the South Caucasus will meet today in Tbilisi, Georgia. The meeting aims at hearing reports on the work done by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Georgian offices within the program in 2010.

On Wednesday, The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly has adopted another resolution in support of Georgia by 80 votes to 16. The document entitled “National sovereignty and statehood in modern international law – the need to clarify” was prepared by German MP Marina Schuster.

The U.S. State Department says it is “disappointing” that Bosnia-Herzegovina is starting its second year with no government. Last year’s election for a central parliament and three members of the federal presidency ended in a deadlock, with no

EU ministers on Wednesday in Brussels are to count the latest figures on asylum claims from the Western Balkans, and decide how to curb a trend that has accelerated since visas were scrapped. EU ministers are to assess whether the number of Balkan asylum-seekers is rising or declining, and decide …

Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci said that the institutions in the country are about to set the supremacy of the law in North Kosovo, where the majority of the residents are ethnic Serbs, and to close the historical chapter of the clash between Kosovo and Serbia.

The European Union has given the green light to the beginning of free trade talks with Moldova by December 2011, reads the final declaration from the Eastern Partnership summit. “Moldova has achieved significant successes in the negotiations about the EU Association Agreement. The more the country draws closer to the …

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele has confirmed that €96 million of funding from a special Balkans assistance package will be allocated to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Previously, Fuele had suspended the allocation after political infighting broke out between leaders in Bosnia’s two semi-autonomous entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FBiH, …

Croatia’s accession to the European Union will offer a new hope for the entire western Balkan region, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said after meeting his Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandrokovic on Monday. “The accession treaty will be signed in December, ahead of Christmas,” said Sikorski, whose

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin, said on Monday that along with EU candidate status, Serbia should also get a date for the beginning of negotiations. He pointed out, however, that in order to make progress in the Euro-integration process, the country needed to resolve the issue of Kosovo.