Eurasia

People celebrated on the streets of Skopje as news came through Wednesday that the European Commission, EC, had recommended that Macedonia begin EU accession talks. Some paraded in cars through the streets of the capital honking and waving the Macedonian and EU flags. Others gathered in front of the government …

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic says that Serbia will consider applying for EU membership unless the EU unblocks the Interim Trade Agreement soon. “If in October and December there is no progress, and the trade deal isn’t applied, the agreement with the EC and our European partners is to review …

Serbia’s premier and foreign minister, Mirko Cvetkovic and Vuk Jeremic, have expressed their satisfaction with the annual European Commission, EC, report on their country’s reform progress. The report states that Serbia has maintained its European orientation and improved cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, despite …

Romanian President Traian Basescu has nominated respected economist Lucian Croitoru for the office of prime minister, having rejected the candidate proposed by opposition parties. “We need a person with experience in dealing with banks and international economic and financial institutions,” Basescu said, adding: “Mr. Croitoru is also politically independent and …

Tužilaštvo Federacije BiH potpuno je razvlaštena institucija. Zvanično postoje, imaju milionski budžet, desetine zaposlenih, ali kada se sve sabere, njihov je utjecaj, najblaže rečeno, skroman. Institucije koje su lav od papira čest su slučaj u BiH. Nije to izum ovdašnjih političkih umova, ali je praksa koju su svesrdno prigrlili. Zemlja …

Greece is proposing a new EU membership road map for the Western Balkans states, which would make them fully-fledged members by 2014. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić said that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou had outlined the plan to him yesterday. “It was a great honor to be the first representative …

The Serbian Supreme Court (VSS) has rejected the Croatian Justice Ministry’s extradition request for Željko Milovanović, the court announced on Tuesday. Milanović is suspected of killing weekIy Nacional owner Ivo Pukanić.

The director of the regional office of the UN Development Program for Europe, Kori Udovički, says the organization regrets the report published on Montenegro. In this internal UN report, Podgorica was referred to as “a provincial town” in which it was difficult for foreigners to live. Udovički told a press …

Croatia will testify before the International Court of Justice on behalf of Kosovo in December, a move daily Novi List believes will sour relations with Serbia. Croatia’s appearance before ICJ will not be taken lightly by Belgrade, and that Zagreb is steeling itself for a negative reaction. 

Macedonian Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski and his Spanish counterpart Carme Chacon Piqueras signed today in Skopje a Memorandum for cooperation in the defense field. The memorandum affirms the commitment for mutual understanding, information exchange and increasing of volume of bilateral cooperation between the two ministries.