Eurasia

Romania is ready to replace Bulgaria in the Russian-Italian gas pipeline project South Stream, a formal statement of Bucharest’s economy ministry reads. Romania’s only condition is that Gazprom sticks to the local regulations while constructing the facility. At the same time, Romania confirmed its participation in the Nabucco pipeline project, …

The United States do not recognize the legality and the results of the presidential vote in Abkhazia, held on December 12. This is according to U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly.

As of December 19, 2009, visa regime for citizens of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro will be lifted, Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced.

The former President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin, the leader of the Opposition party, the PCRM, says that his party will support the initiatives aimed at bringing Moldova closer to the EU standards. He is in favor of liberalizing the visa regime for the Moldovan travelers and developing the economic relations …

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Croatian President Stjepan Mesić to discuss issues related to the property of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS).

The Republic of Srpska (RS) leaders say High Representative Valentin Inzko’s decision to extend the mandate of foreign judges and prosecutors is unacceptable. The president of the Bosnian Serb entity, Rajko Kuzmanović, on Monday described Inzko’s move as “unacceptable”, and as “a clear sign that Bosnia-Herzegovina continues to be under …

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin, said that the proclamation of the Vojvodina statute is a sign of maturity in Serbia. He said that it is also a sign of Serbia’s political will to turn itself into a modern and functional country.

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen will visit Belgrade on Wednesday, it was announced.

Everything will be done to allow the OSCE to resume activity in Georgia in 2010, Greek Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-In-Office Charalampos Christopoulos and his successor, Kazakh representative Bolat Nurgaliyev said at a meeting with Georgian Vice Parliamentary Speaker Gigi Tsereteli.

Russia’s Energy Ministry believes there is no reason to suspect another corporate conflict in the supply of Russian gas to Ukraine, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said.