Eurasia

Young Bosnian linguists are promoting studying of the Bosnian language, while Republika Srpska says Bosnian is only a variant of Croatian. An association of young linguists and translators in Bosnia-Herzegovina several months ago created a web site ‘bosanski.ba’, but lately they are being attacked by linguists from the Bosnian Serb …

Bulgarian Finance Minister, Plamen Oresharski, has stated that fast-track entry into the euro zone is not Bulgaria’s first priority, after coming out of a meeting of the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in Brussels late Tuesday. “It (euro membership) is not our first priority – our first priority …

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister, appears set to become the new Secretary-General of NАТО, following a private agreement by the leaders of Britain, France and Germany to back his candidacy. In a move that would place Mr Rasmussen at the centre of the west’s drive to win the …

Madrid, – Serbian President Boris Tadic said in Madrid today that he wants to open a fresh page in relations between Serbia and the United States, adding that he was sure that he would soon be meeting with the new US president. “I am sure that I will soon be …

The president of Maldives, Muhamed Nashid, has ordered police to investigate allegations that government officials accepted a $2 million bribe to recognise Kosovo as independent, media in the Maldives and Serbia reported. The allegations were made at the beginning of March by the opposition Islamic Democratic Party.

Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Zapatero has reaffirmed that Spain will not recognise Kosovo as independent, newspapers in Kosovo and Serbia reported on March 10 2009. “Spain’s position on the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence is known – it is non-recognition,” Zapatero was quoted as saying by Kosovo daily Koha …

KIEV, March 11  – Ukraine has asked Russia for a $5 billion loan to pay for natural gas deliveries, Ukraine’s acting finance minister said on Wednesday. “This loan will be used to buy gas,” Ihor Umanskiy said. He added that Ukraine was looking at options to borrow from other sources, …

Bucharest. A delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will arrive Wednesday in Bucharest. The delegation will stay in the country till March 25, Romanian media report. The major issue to be tabled for discussion is an IMF program for Romania, part of a financing package, with the participation of …

Ailing U.S. car maker Ford Motor Co. will receive 143 million euros ($232 million Canadian) in aid from the government of Romania, where the company owns an assembly plant, lawmakers said The state aid, spanning until 2012, will support production of cars and engines at the factory in Craiova, in …

Faced with stalled growth and a weakened currency, Bucharest became the latest government to ask the IMF and EU for an emergency rescue package Romania could receive about €20 billion as part of an International Monetary Fund-European Union rescue package, with negotiations due to start this week.