Kosovo’s PM Hashim Thaci has ruled out any possibility of autonomy for the Serb-run northern Kosovo.The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said that the autonomy for Northern Kosovo was “just an old dream of Serbia’s that will never come true”. “The idea that has been presented in the Serbian …
Read More »Tadic Quits Race to Lead Serbia Democrats
Serbia’s former president has abandoned his ambitions to remain at the helm of the Democratic Party, and will cede the post to Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas.Boris Tadic, leader of the opposition Democrats, announced on Sunday after a session of the party’s main board that he would not run for office …
Read More »Mixed Verdict on Serbia Govt’s First 100 Days
Serbia’s new government has not lived up to its election rhetoric on the economy, corruption, education and health, experts said on Friday at the release of a joint BIRN-NALED report.The National Alliance for Local Economy Development, NALED, and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, presented a mixed picture of the …
Read More »Kosovo and Serbian PMs Set For Second Meeting
Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic are expected to meet for a second time in Brussels following their talks with US and EU diplomacy chiefs.The Kosovo and Serbian leaders are expected to hold a joint meeting with the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on November 7 in Brussels, an EU …
Read More »Role of JNA in the 1990s Wars Still Remains Unclear
One of the main reasons why the role of the Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA, in the breakup of Yugoslavia remains unclear after nearly 20 years since the wars is that archives of the army are still kept secret, experts say.Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the federal army, the JNA, was …
Read More »New Law on Funding Regulators Alarms Serbian Media
As the government drafts a new law, changing the way electronic communications operators are funded, journalists’ union warns it may jeopardize their independence.Serbian media unions have criticised a new proposed law on “Fees for the Use of Public Goods” that places the sources of funding for regulatory bodies in electronic …
Read More »Serbian Move to Retain Crime of Libel Criticised
Journalists’ association says that by backing away from pledge to decriminalize slander and defamation, the government is encouraging pressure on the media.The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, NUNS, protested on Tuesday against a Justice Ministry work group’s decision to scrap moves to decriminalize slander and defamation. “The fact that …
Read More »Hadzic Was Influenced by Milosevic, Witness Says
The former Croatian Serb leader, Goran Hadzic, was very close to the late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, who guided him through the war in Croatia, says a former member of Hadzic’s political party.Testifying at Hadzic’s trial at the Hague Tribunal, Borivoje Savic, his former friend and party colleague, recalled their …
Read More »General Perisic Appeals His ICTY Conviction
Momcilo Perisic, the most senior officer of the former Yugoslav Army to be convicted of war crimes, has appealed against his conviction by the Hague Tribunal, ICTY.General Perisic, who commanded the Yugoslav Army during the wars in Bosnia and Croatia, was jailed for 27 years by the Hague Tribunal, ICTY, …
Read More »Serbian Govt Halts Sale of TV Avala
Serbia’s ruling Progressives have exerted pressure on Avala co-owner to halt the sale of the troubled broadcaster, which as a result faces bankruptcy and closure.Serbia’s ruling Progressive Party has exerted pressure on Zeljko Mitrovic, TV Avala co-owner, to cancel the contract for the sale of the station, Balkan Insight has …
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