Eurasia

The EU and Serbia will continue regular meetings through the so-called political dialogue on January 26. One of the main topics will be the question of Belgrade’s candidacy for EU membership. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić will be leading the Serbian delegation while the EU team will be headed by Spanish …

Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday called on Ukraine’s presidential candidates to improve ties with Russia. Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will face each other in a run-off presidential election on Feb. 7 after no candidate secured a majority in Sunday’s vote. “I am sure that …

Today, President Barroso took note of Mrs Jeleva’s withdrawal as commissioner-designate. He fully respects this personal decision, European Commission’s press office announced.

Diplomatic relations with Montenegro will return to normal if Podgorica re-examines its decision to recognize Kosovo, says Serbian MFA’s political director. Beta news agency reports that Borislav Stefanović made the comments for state broadcaster RTS on Monday night, and that he added that Belgrade “could not act as if nothing …

Minister for Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović has called on Serbs in the Kosovo enclave of Štrpce to refrain from conflicts and work together. “We have to do everything we can to overcome the divisions in the Serb community (in the Štrpce municipality), because it does not help us,” Bogdanović told …

Romanian President Traian Basescu received new European Union President Herman van Rompuy for talks Monday evening, with the Bucharest leader putting in a good word for neighbouring country Moldova’s EU membership aspirations. Basescu urged the EU to provide clear prospects to Moldova on future membership.

Georgia will hold several events in connection with the 20th anniversary of the Jan.20 tragedy in Baku, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Georgia said. The Soviet Army commenced military operations against Azerbaijan early morning Jan. 20, 1990 before declaring a state of emergency. The tragedy claimed the lives of 131 people, …

The candidacy of Bulgarian Commissioner-designate Rumiana Jeleva has been withdrawn according to the European People’s Party Group in the European Parliament. A letter was sent to Joseph Daul this morning by Rumiana Jeleva. Jeleva has resigned from her position as Commissioner-designate and her position as Foreign Minister.

The Turkish Cypriot political leadership’s recent proposals on solving the Cyprus issue was unacceptable, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said Monday. “We want a solution that will end occupation and division in Cyprus, because the Cyprus issue is primarily a problem of occupation by Turkey,” Papandreou said after meeting with …

Macedonia’s President Georgi Ivanov has promised to push for a solution to his country’s long-running name dispute this year, but not at the price of ‘putting identity onto the negotiating table’. “It is regretful that due to an irrational reason, an imposed dispute, generations of Macedonian citizens are hindered on …