Eurasia

US official envisions Cyprus deal by year’s end

NICOSIA, Cyprus Washington hopes the two Cypriot communities will make an “historic breakthrough” this year to end the island’s division, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza said on Monday (June 29th) during a visit to Nicosia.

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Bosnia Hopeful over IMF Deal

Bosnia and Herzegovina is hopeful that a compromise has been reached with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, which would allow this financial institution to activate a Euro 1.2 billion stand-by arrangement for the country. “The IMF is finally satisfied,” reads a front page article in the Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje on …

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Vote count delay stirs up tensions after Albania key polls

TIRANA (AFP) – A delay in the ballot count after legislative polls seen as crucial to Albania’s aspirations to join the EU sparked opposition claims of fraud Tuesday, after European election observers’ gave cautious praise for the voting process. The ruling Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, which held …

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Albania PM inches ahead in vote count: commission

TIRANA – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s centre-right coalition held a slender lead Wednesday in the latest tally of votes after general elections, the electoral commission said. The alliance led by Berisha’s Democratic Party had garnered 46.81 percent of votes against 45.42 percent for a coalition headed by Tirana Mayor …

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Albania’s governing Democrats top vote count

TIRANA, Albania – Preliminary results from Albania’s weekend parliamentary elections show the governing Democrats have won. But it is not clear whether Prime Minister Sali Berisha has secured the number of seats in parliament needed to govern on his own. With 98 percent of ballot boxes counted Wednesday, the Democratic …

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Albania’s election heads for deadlock

Albania’s general election appeared headed for deadlock on Wednesday, with both the governing right-of-centre Democratic party and the opposition Socialists unable to win an outright majority in the 140-seat parliament. A long drawn-out counting process after Sunday’s vote went into its fourth day on Wednesday amid mounting tension over possible …

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Croatian Premier Ivo Sanader Resigns

Ivo Sanader, the Croatian Prime Minister has called a press conference, currently underway, without offering any advance agenda. At the conference he announced his resignation and said that he was leaving politics for good. The main state television station, HTV reports that an unscheduled HDZ parliamentary association meeting was held …

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Bosnia: West Postpones OHR Closure

Political deadlock and stalled reforms have forced the international community to postpone its decision to close the Office of the High Representative, OHR, media reported on Wednesday. “Today we have not made the decision about the closure of the OHR, or about the transition of the OHR,” Bosnia’s High Representative, …

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