Eurasia

NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is expected to visit Bulgaria on May 20, 2010, Bulgarian media report. This will be Rasmussen’s first visit to Bulgaria since he was appointed NATO’s secretary general in April 2009.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov will visit Belgrade, it was announced today. He will meet with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić and Chairman of the parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Dragoljub Mićunović.

It is time for EC to get the green light to discuss Serbia’s request to receive EU candidate status, EU Delegation in Serbia chief Vincent Degert says. Degert said on Thursday in Belgrade that he believed that it was time that the EC received the green light from the EU …

“We had a very good conversation. We discussed mostly strategic issues and the future of the Western Balkans,” Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić said during the joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolay Mladenov.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday in Romania that the Alliance will continue its open door policy as regards countries in the Balkans and would like all the states in the region to join the European Union and NATO.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Wednesday (May 5th) that parliamentary and presidential elections will be held on October 3rd. CEC President Irena Hadziabdic said that Bosnians will vote for members of the BiH presidency, central and entities’ parliaments, president and vice-president of Republika Srspska, as well as new …

The European Commission (EC) Liaison Office in Pristina will support the government in conducting a national census, head of mission Renzo Daviddi said on Wednesday (May 5th) after a meeting with Minister of Public Administration Edita Tahiri. They discussed the technicalities of the census, which is planned for spring 2011. …

UN war crimes tribunal chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz plans to visit Serbia on May 12th and 13th, spokesperson Olga Kavran confirmed on Wednesday (May 5th). Brammertz is to submit a report — assessing Serbia’s co-operation — to the UN Security Council in June. While in Belgrade, he will meet with …

Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze will pay an official visit to Kazakhstan May 6. Within his visit, the FM will meet with Kazakh Foreign Minister and OSCE Acting Chairman Kanat Saudabayev. After the meeting, the sides will sign a protocol on cooperation.

The International Monetary Fund has decided to prolong a review of Romania’s rescue deal by extending the visit of its mission to Bucharest by two days to May 9. “The fourth IMF review mission … will continue working with the Romanian authorities during the weekend May 8-9,” Tonny Lybek, IMF’s …