Eurasia

Municipal elections in two Serb-dominated areas in northern Kosovo risk another postponement, Local Government and Administration Minister Sadri Ferati said. He explained that a change of dates may result from challenges posed by Serb parallel structures. Ferati said the plan is to hold elections in the two municipalities – Partesh/Partes …

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has refused to accept the resignation of Rumiana Jeleva as foreign minister. “I wrote “yes” to her request to resign as European Commission designate and “no” to her request to leave the office of foreign minister,” Boyko Borisov said. Borisov hopes that Rumiana Jeleva will …

The commission for studying and assessing the consequences of the totalitarian Communist regime in Moldova has to analyze hundreds of thousands of cases stored in different state archives, the commission’s secretary Mihai Tasca said in a news conference on January 18.

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, …