Eurasia

Serbian Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanović said Wednesday that the Serbian government was willing to accept a joint customs form. He pointed out, however, that Serbia would never accept a “Kosovo” customs stamp.

The Serbian government will on September 8-10 organize the Serbia-EU Forum, which will be attended by more than 400 of participants from several countries. The event will be modeled after the Davos Forum – said Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Božidar Đelić.

Kosovo refuses to change its customs stamp in line with proposals recently outlined by Serbia. Recent proposals circulating in Serbia to change the format of Kosovo’s custom stamp have been strongly rejected by Pristina.

Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov and a business delegation from the agricultural sector are to visit the Republic of Kosovo on August 17. Minister Naydenov will meet with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and Deputy Prime Minister

EU representatives back the idea of Belgrade for introduction of two customs stamps at the administrative checkpoints between Kosovo and Serbia. Serbian representatives have proposed the idea several times – one of the stamps will bear the sign of Kosovo customs, while the other – the sign of EULEX or …

Philip Reeker, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, who is on a visit to Macedonia, met with the country’s new Defence Minister Fatmir Besami. After the meeting Reeker said that the strong partnership between Macedonia and the US will continue. The diplomat, however, remarked that the US …

Montenegrin PM Igor Luksic has finally reached agreement with leaders of the country’s political opposition regarding the use of the Serbian language and facilitating Montenegrin citizenship for minorities. After months of wrangling and political pressure, PM Luksic successfully agreed to appease opposition leaders yesterday, thereby

Turkey has contacted the US administration on Greek Cypriot plans to begin drilling for gas in the eastern Mediterranean. Greek Cyprus recently announced that it would begin drilling for oil and gas off the island’s southern coast on Oct. 1.

Villagers in the Serb enclave of Prilužje in Kosovo today held a one-hour protest gathering blocking a road leading to the construction site of a local bridge. The new bridge over the Sitnica River would connect the enclave with a number of nearby villages populated by ethnic Albanians.

The leader of Macedonia’s largest ethnic Albanian party has recommended international diplomats step in to help the country resolve its long-standing name dispute with neighbouring Greece. The dispute, which is hampering Macedonia’s attempts to join NATO and the EU, has been going on for more than three years.