Eurasia

Ghimpu appointed Moldova’s caretaker president

MOLDOVA Parliament speaker Mihai Ghimpu is to serve as Moldova’s ad interim president, under a decision adopted Friday by the legislature, following prolonged debates. The decision is to be submitted to the Constitutional Court for validation. Communist MP Vladimir Turcan suggested the adoption of the decision should be postponed until …

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Delegation of Turkmen parliament to visit Romania

ROMANIA The delegation of the Turkmen Majlis (Parliament), headed by the chairman of the Majlis Akja Nurberdiyeva will visit Bucharest on September 15-18, 2009 to develop inter-parliamentary relations. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov speaking about importance of inter-parliamentary relations at the state conference stressed the need in further strengthening of mutually …

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Romanian president to visit Kazakhstan

ROMANIA Romanian President Traian Basescu is expected to visit Kazakhstan in late October, Deputy Economy and Budget Planning Minister, Teymur Suleymanov, said. The 8th meeting of the Kazakh-Romanian intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation is held on the eve of the Romanian President’s visit, which is scheduled for late …

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Putin opens door to return as Russia president

RUSSIA Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday gave his strongest indication yet that he may run again for the presidency at the next election in 2012. Ever since Putin’s presidential term expired last year and he made way for his chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev, there has been speculation the move was …

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Bulgaria hails EU decision to unblock farming aid

BULGARIA Bulgarian officials on Friday hailed an EU decision to release millions of euros in farming aid to Sofia that had been frozen since last year over fraud concerns, AFP commented. On Thursday, the European Commission authorised payments of 109.6 million euros (160 million dollars), blocked since last July, under …

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Turkey’s possible IMF agreement unrelated to upcoming IMF/WB meetings

TURKEY Contrary to the all-too-common statements in the press, Turkey and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are no more likely to sign an agreement on the sidelines of the upcoming IMF World Bank Annual Meetings in İstanbul than they were at any time before or after the summit, said Caroline …

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Macedonian media about Bulgaria: Brussels air calms down Boyko Borisov

MACEDONIA Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov assumed a calmer tone after his first statement about the tragedy in Ohrid, Macedonian Dnevnik daily writes on Friday. “We have wonderful relations with your prime minster. Yesterday, your foreign minister, together his Bulgarian counterpart, attended the ceremony of paying last respect to the …

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PASOK to win elections with parliamentary majority, polls state

GREECE There is 5.5% distance between the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and the ruling New Democracy. According to the polls, organized on September 7-8 among 1,001 people, PASOK wins 41% support, while the New Democracy – 35.5%, which guarantees a majority of 151 MPs for the socialist party, while the …

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No secret agreements on Russia – Bulgaria energy projects

RUSSIA Russia and Bulgaria have never had secret agreements on the energy projects, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said. “If legitimate decisions passed by the previous government are rejected every time, then how can we possibly work with this country! All projects have been openly discussed in Europe. We passed …

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Another delay of Burgas-Alexandoupolis expected

GREECE Greek socialist leader George Papandreou attacked the ruling cabinet over the three-way intergovernmental agreement for the construction of the Burgas-Alexandoupolis oil pipeline. According to Papandreou, the agreement services only the interests of the Russian part and made it clear that it is possible to renegotiate the contract conditions if …

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