Eurasia

With only a hundred ballot boxes still left to be counted, the right-of-centre coalition led by the Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha was running neck-and-neck with the opposition Socialists led by Tirana Mayor Edi Rama on Wednesday in Albania’s tightly fought parliamentary election. The process of counting the …

Macedonian opposition parties said the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Bocevski was a sign of the government’s inability to make progress with its European Union accession bid. Bocevski, in charge of EU relations, revealed no motives for his surprise move in his resignation letter sent on Tuesday to the …

The number of Romanian troops serving in peace missions abroad will number only 1,667 next year following the pullout of troops from Iraq, the country’s Supreme Defence Council, CSAT, decided on Tuesday. Romania today has 2,067 troops in operation theatres in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a 500-strong contingent will be …

Kosovo must pay a $231 million debt to the World Bank for loans obtained during the Yugoslav period, announced James Steinbery, US deputy secretary of state, on Tuesday. The debt, which was initially calculated to be $381 million, will be lowered by $150 million, which will be paid by the …

Former Prime Minister Agim Ceku returned to Kosovo on Tuesday after being stopped by Bulgarian authorities due to a warrant for his arrest issued by Serbia. A Court in Kyustendil in Bulgaria has dismissed the charges in the arrest warrant against the leader of Kosovo’s Social Democratic Party, PSD, the …

Just weeks before the European Commission is due to publish an assessment on Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the EU, the French Senate cautioned against “stigmatising” the EU’s most recent members and suggested fine-tuning the Union’s Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, set up to assist the two countries after their entry. …

EU officials in Brussels admit Sunday’s crucial parliamentary elections in Albania demonstrated electoral progress, but warn that more needs to be done before the country can be said to have achieved full international standards. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has noted in a statement that “tangible progress has been made …

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen is scheduled to visit Serbia in July to discuss trade cooperation between the two countries, but the visit will not change the Netherland’s against Serbia’s Stabilization and Association Agreement, SAA. A Dutch Foreign Ministry statement said that Verhagen would discuss with his Serbian counterpart Vuk …

There is no need for a new Ohrid peace accord as the existing one remains vital for the country’s stability, prosperity and EU-integration, the EU Ambassador to Macedonia Erwan Fouere said Monday in response to calls for the agreement’s revision. “It has been emphasized on several occasions that Macedonia’s road …

Serbian residents of northern Kosovo continued efforts to maintain a road block at administrative border crossing points with Serbia on Monday. The main cause of protest is aimed against introducing customs checkpoints at the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings with central Serbia. Protesters announced to reporters of Serbia’s Tanjug news …