Eurasia

ROME, Italy The European Commission (EC) will approve Albania’s request for EU candidate status this summer, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was quoted as saying by Albanian media on Wednesday (July 22nd). Tirana applied for candidate status in late April. “Albania’s early request cannot stay locked in a drawer … …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Bosnian Serb television RTRS aired on Wednesday (July 22nd) footage allegedly proving crimes committed by Bosnian Muslim forces against Serb prisoners of war in 1994. The video shows General Atif Dudakovic ordering his troops to shoot two captured soldiers dead. Three years ago, Republika Srpska …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) A new survey by Transparency International concludes BiH is the most corrupt country in the region, according to results released on Wednesday (July 22nd). Corruption is widespread both in Republika Srpska and in the Federation of BiH, according to findings collected over the past two …

BELGRADE, Serbia The process to re-register political parties, as spelled out under a new law, begins Thursday (July 23rd). All parties will now have six months to collect enough signatures for registration, at a far higher threshold than before: 10,000 for a mainstream party and 1,000 for parties representing minorities. …

PRISTINA, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci on Wednesday (July 22nd) sent a letter to EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon about reports that the mission is holding talks with Serbia on judicial matters, including police and customs.

ZAGREB, Croatia Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor confirmed on Wednesday (July 22nd) that the cabinet plans to introduce a temporary tax to boost budget revenues during the economic crisis. The rate will be 5-6%, down from 8% as initially proposed. The new tax on salaries and pensions would take effect next …

TIRANA, Albania The government plans to target less developed regions of the country, particularly in the northeast and southeast, to help low income residents there. At a meeting Wednesday (July 22nd), Prime Minister Sali Berisha instructed his cabinet to prepare a package of assistance measures within a month, aimed at …

TIRANA, Albania Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Sunday (July 19th) said the future government’s goal will be to bring the country closer to EU membership. Berisha said the coalition between his Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration will focus on pro-EU reforms, and expanding human rights and citizen …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) High Representative Valentin Inzko says the so-called Prud process of dialogue among leaders of the three main political parties is basically dead, and is now a process involving more parties, local media reported on Sunday (July 19th). In an interview with Sarajevo-based OBN TV, Inzko …

NICOSIA, Cyprus Greek Cypriots are refusing to speed up negotiations to reunify the island and won’t until the international community exerts pressure on them, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat told a press conference Saturday (July 18th). While Turkey is actively supporting ongoing efforts to find a solution to the …