Eurasia

Croatian President Stjepan Mesic met Pope Benedict XVI for the first time on Thursday at the Vatican. Mesic and Benedict XVI discussed the situation in the region around Croatia, Croatian-EU relations, the main challenges for the future and other factors that promote stability and strengthen peace.

The official welcome offered to Biljana Plavsic, recently released from prison having being convicted for war crimes by the UN’s War Crimes Tribunal, in the Serb-dominated part of Bosnia Republika Srpska has sparked outrage, prompting some victims of the country’s 1992-95 war to accuse Bosnian Serb leadership of fascism. “Unfortunately, …

Asked  why he missed several sitting of the present legislative body, the former President of Moldova said he recently had a lot of meetings with representatives of the diplomatic corps and with members of the party from districts and they coincided with the plenary sittings.

Interior Minister Beşir Atalay said on Friday that the government’s much-debated Kurdish initiative would not divide the country but strengthen it under the slogan “more democracy for everyone.” In his address to Parliament, he said the government’s initiative, which the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, has billed as …

The Georgian parliament will begin discussions on nominees to the post of Georgian ambassador to Azerbaijan today. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili nominated earlier this week Presidential Administration Spokesman Ivan Noniashvili.

President Boris Tadić says he has received support from Italy for Greek PM Giorgios Papandreu’s plan to have all Western Balkan countries in EU in 2014. “Serbia considers EU membership to be an irreplaceable strategic goal and we expect that the Greek plan and the plan of its prime minister, …

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has called on the Kosovo Serbs to vote in the local elections scheduled for Nov. 15. “I once again call on representatives of all communities, in this case the Serb community as well, to be active in this process, which primarily concerns the exercising of their …

Greece’s representative made it clear to the UN envoy that there can be no launch of Macedonia’s EU accession talks without prior resolution of the long-running issue over the name. UN mediator on the name issue Matthew Nimetz had a working dinner with Greece’s negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis on Thursday evening. …

Montenegro’s government will soon establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo. Gjukanovic said that recognizing Kosovo independence urges Montenegro’s Foreign Ministry to establish complete diplomatic relations and ambassador exchange. He said that complete establishment of diplomatic relations between Podgorica and Pristina won’t worsen Montenegro and Serbia diplomatic relations.

Georgian State Reintegration Minister Temur Yakobashvili discussed the country’s occupied territories and de-occupation with EU diplomats. The sides also analyzed the national strategy toward the occupied territories, which is still under development, Yakobashvili said. According to the minister, it was symbolic that the meeting was held at the Radisson Hotel, …