Eurasia

A new European Commission, EC, document reportedly argues that the EU should unblock its Interim Trade Agreement with Serbia. Beta news agency reports that the EC is urging the unfreezing of the pact, arguing that the authorities in Serbia have proven their commitment to the country’s EU integration process and …

The chief editor of the controversial Macedonia encyclopedia, which caused outrage among ethnic Albanians, has been removed from the post. Blaze Ristovski was discharged from his duties at a Wednesday afternoon session of the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences, MANU, which released the tome. Ristovski had resisted pressure to …

Čelnici Vlade FBiH zloupotrijebili su položaj jer su u protekle tri godine odbijali aktivirati bankarske garancije od po 50 miliona KM godišnje kako bi osigurali da konzorcij INA-MOL provede ugovornu obavezu o investiranju 150 miliona KM u “Energopetrol”. Pokazala je to istraga Kantonalnog tužilaštva u Sarajevu o provedbi ugovora o …

Croatian President Stjepan Mesić says that relations in the region have reached a major impasse since Kosovo unilaterally declared independence. Normalization of relations between Zagreb and Belgrade slowed after Croatia recognized Kosovo independence, and Serbian indignation has begun to spill over into Bosnia-Herzegovina and is seriously undermining the situation in …

A separate item on the agenda is the continuation of the multilateral cooperation between Georgia and the CIS following this country’s withdrawal from the organization. The Meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council will take place in Chisinau on Thursday, October 8. Ministers from the 11 member states of the …

EU Special Envoy to Kosovo Pieter Feith has called on Serbs to participate in the local elections in Kosovo scheduled for November 15. Feith expects higher turnout in this election, adding that the results will have to be honored. “According to polls, we expect higher turnout this time round. The …

European Parliament Rapporteur for Bosnia-Herzegovina Doris Pack says that Milorad Dodik refuses to listen to any advice and that he is “obstinate.” “Milorad Dodik is so obstinate that I don’t think anyone can bring to bear on him or the moves he has in his head, let alone persuade him …

The CIS Council of the heads of state is going to consider nearly 20 documents pertaining to cooperation between the member states. The CIS Summit will be held in the Moldovan capital next Friday in the absence of the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić says that the countries of the Western Balkans have not a second to waste now that the Irish have adopted the Lisbon Treaty. After meeting with a number of foreign ministers in Budapest, Jeremić said that a summit of the European Union and Western Balkan countries …

SERBIA The Parliamentary Legislative Committee says that the draft law on the transfer of Vojvodina’s authorities is ready. The bill, which is necessary for the Vojvodina statute to be enacted, will come before the government for adoption very soon. The Vojvodina statute was enacted by the provincial assembly and passed …