Eurasia

Big margin of victory in first round over nearest rival, Milan Bandic, puts Social Democrat nominee in pole position to claim the prize on January 10. Ivo Josipovic, 52, won the first round of Croatian presidential elections last weekend by a wife margin and, along with his nearest rival, Milan …

Transnistria’s special representative for parliamentary ties with other unrecognized states Grigory Marakuta, who had chaired the Transnistrian supreme soviet [parliament] for nearly 2 decades, thinks that accession to Russia is indeed very desirable for the unrecognized republic but is hardly probable because Transnistria has no common border with the Russian …

There are many gaps in Serbian-Albanian relations, when taken into consideration other neighboring countries. Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilir Meta said following the strong objection made by the Self-Determination movement in Kosovo regarding the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s announcement of financial assistance for Kosovo …

Romania’s parliament will begin talks on the centrist coalition government’s austere 2010 budget bill on Jan. 11, key to freeing up a 20 billion euro aid package led by the International Monetary Fund. The IMF has said it would return to Bucharest once a budget has been approved in January …

Relations between Croatia and Serbia have not worsened and cooperation is good between the two countries, Croatian President Stjepan Mesić said. Speaking on the differing stances on Kosovo, Mesić said that the policies of Serbia are too focused on the “Kosovo myth”, but that Serbia “does not have to recognize …

Fatmir Sejdiu says he will not invite President Boris Tadić to a “mini summit of presidents of Kosovo’s neighboring countries”. “I won’t invite him to a meeting of colleagues from the region. There will certainly be other occasions, but I won’t invite him just for the sake of it. How …

The Spanish state secretary for European affairs says his country will “encourage” Serbia and the West Balkans in the EU integration process.

Russia and Ukraine have signed a new agreement on Russian oil transits via Ukraine to Europe for next year, a spokesman for Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz said on Tuesday.

The newly appointed Kosovo Ambassador to Croatia, Veldet Sadiku will present his credentials to Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Tuesday. Croatia was the first Balkan country to recognize Kosovo’s independence on March 19 2008. The two countries have established diplomatic relations on June 30, 2008. Croatia has already opened a …

Archimandrite Roman has arrived in Georgia. His visit was arranged by the Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod. The Georgian Patriarchate said Archimandrite is visiting Georgia with the permission of Catholicos-Patriarch of All-Georgia Ilia II.