Serbia

Primary level and high schools in the mainly Bosniak [Muslim] southwest Sandzak region of Serbia have started teaching classes in the Bosniak language.Students in 12 schools in the Sandzak region had their first classes in the Bosniak language on International Mother Tongue Day, February 21. Esad Dzudzevic, president of the …

A tussle over who has the right to organise the 2013 Belgrade Marathon has led to speculation that the city might end up with two showpiece races.Belgrade Marathon Ltd., a company that has been organising endurances races for two decades, has stated that it will organise this year’s event, although …

After America’s FAA completed its initial inspection of Serbia’s aviation, Serbia hopes the US will allow Belgrade to launch direct flights by year’s end.After the US Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, carried out the first stage of its inspection of Serbian aviation on February 17th, it will decide whether Belgrade meets …

Brussels is likely to reward Serbia for normalising relations with Kosovo with a ‘conditional’ start date for accession talks.In its April report, the European Commission is likely to recommend that Serbia be granted a conditional start date for EU accession talks in June, Balkan Insight has learned from two independent …

The constitutional court in Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity Republika Srpska ruled that Serb symbols used by the towns of Banja Luka and Nevesinje discriminated against Bosniaks and Croats.Republika Srpska’s constitutional court ruled on Wednesday that the coats of arms and flags of Banja Luka and Nevesinje contain “symbols of the religious …

After a dispute between regional and state inspections over whether milk is contaminated by the potentially dangerous aflatoxin, M1, Serbia is withdrawing all suspect milk from shelves.Serbia’s veterinary inspectorate has ordered all milk that some analysis shows is contaminated with the aflatoxin M1 to be pulled off the shelves. Dairy …

Kosovo and Serbia are expected to come closer to an understanding on Serbian-financed institutions in northern Kosovo in their talks in Brussels – but a think tank warns that the situation remains volatile.After a meeting on Tuesday, the Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, and his Serbian counterpart, Ivica Dacic, are …

As Brussels readies to decide on whether to grant Serbia a start date for EU accession talks, Serbian officials are heading to EU capitals to muster support.Serbian officials are travelling to Brussels and Berlin this week, to persuade their would-be EU partners of their willingness to “normalise” relations with Kosovo …

The fifth EU-mediated meeting between Kosovo and Serbia’s prime ministers takes place on Tuesday but little is known about what’s been discussed at the talks so far.EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will host the latest round of discussions between Kosovo’s premier Hashim Thaci and his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic …

As Kosovo marked the fifth anniversary of its declaration of independence, Belgrade reiterated that it would never recognise Pristina’s statehood claims.Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday that Kosovo’s independence was “an illusion”. Kosovo could exist “for another 100 years without being recognised by the UN”, Dacic told Serbian …