Ceremonies to mark Orthodox Christmas at churches and monasteries in Kosovo were shadowed by detentions and protests.Kosovo police arrested nine people in the town of Gracanica on Monday for what they said were “security reasons” amid a visit by a Serbian official. The director of the Serbian government’s office for …
Read More »Kosovo President Willing to Meet Nikolic of Serbia
Kosovo’s President has expressed readiness to meet her Serbian counterpart – in the context of a meeting between ‘presidents of two sovereign and independent states’.Arber Vllahiu, President Atifete Jahjaga’s spokesperson, told Balkan Insight that the two leaders would meet “as presidents of sovereign and independent states” to support the EU-led …
Read More »Tito’s Old Blue Train Gets Back On Track
The train once used by the former Yugoslav leader, Josip Broz Tito, is now taking tourists from Serbia to Montenegro.It was a train that once carried monarchs and world leaders. But now holidaymakers, keen on learning more about the history of former Yugoslavia, can take a trip in the ex-President’s …
Read More »Croatian, Serbian PMs to Meet, Heal Rift
Ivica Dacic and Zoran Milanovic are expected to meet soon, ‘on neutral ground’, with a view to bridging the widening divide between Zagreb and Belgrade.Serbia’s Prime Minister, Ivica Dacic, says he expects to meet his Croatian counterpart, Zoran Milanovic, in the first half of 2013. “I believe it is important …
Read More »Serbia Seeks Redivision of Ex-Yugoslav Property
Belgrade wants to revise ‘absurd’ deals with its neighbours to share out property once owned by Yugoslavia.“The previous government made some absurd concessions,” said Oliver Antic, a presidential adviser who heads the current Belgrade administration’s body dealing with property issues arising from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. He cited …
Read More »Spain to Hand Over Djindjic Assassin to Serbia
Spanish courts have approved the extradition to Serbia of Vladimir Milisavljevic, convicted in Serbia of involvement in the assassination of the late Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.Spanish authorities have approved the handover of Vladimir Milisavljevic, aka Vlada “Budala” (“Fool”), to Serbia, 11 months since his arrest. Courts in Serbia have …
Read More »Serbia Threatens To Demolish Albanian Monument
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic says if local authorities in south Serbia don’t remove a memorial dedicated to ethnic Albanian fighters, the state will do so “by force”.Dacic ordered the authorities in the mainly Albanian towns of Bujanovac and Presevo in South Serbia to remove a monument dedicated to ethnic …
Read More »Nikolic Visit to Banja Luka Upsets Sarajevo
Serbian President’s visit to the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, has ruffled feathers in the Bosnian capital.President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic met top officials of Republika Srpska, RS, in Banja Luka on December 26 and discussed the “special relations” between Serbia and the Serb-dominated entity. Nikolic and …
Read More »Serbia to Adopt Kosovo Platform in New Year
As Kosovo Serbs lend support to Serbia’s ‘platform’ on Kosovo, the document is to go before parliament by January 7.After several hours of discussion, 150 representatives from the Serb-run north of Kosovo on Tuesday offered to support the Serbian government’s official platform for Kosovo. The platform demands a high level …
Read More »Thaci Rejects Serbian Plans For North Kosovo
Kosovo Prime Minister dismisses Serbia’s “platform” for Kosovo, ruling out calls for special autonomy for the Serb-run north as well as territorial partition.Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, on Wednesday said that Serbia’s recently unveiled plans for Kosovo should be “filed away”, along with other failed projects. “That project will remain …
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