Eurasia

Pristina – Kosovo has begun registering people and recording their financial statistics in a pilot scheme in five cities in preparation for a complete census.

Skopje – The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Stuart E. Jones, is visiting Macedonia and is to hold meetings with President Branko Crvenkovski and Premier Nikola Gruevski.

Pristina – Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has congratulated senior Albanian leaders for their progress in joining NATO after the United States signed a key protocol.

Pristina – The former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari sees Kosovo as an example of ‘preventative diplomacy’ and a warning to all dictators who mistreat their people.

Sarajevo – Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) member of the tripartite presidency, Haris Silajdzic, and party associate, Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj are “not welcome any more” in senior UN and EC circles.

Sofia – The leader of Bulgaria’s far-right Ataka party, Volen Siderov, says he believed there was nothing in the way of his cooperation with the GERB party of Sofia’s Mayor.

Sofia – A spokesman for the EU’s Anti-Fraud Office says Bulgaria has so far showed political will in cooperating with the body over the misuse of funds.

Skopje – In an effort to increase power production, Macedonia has issued a public notice to investors interested in building hydropower plants along its biggest Vardar river.

Sarajevo – The European Commission has halted projects for Bosnia and Herzegovina worth €50 million, until Sarajevo cancels or refunds taxes on grants and donations.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani sent a message of good wishes to the ailing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and prayed for speedy recovery of his health.