The trial against former Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic and his assistant, Ivo Bacic, began in a Zagreb court Friday (January 29th). The anti-corruption office, USKOK, charged them in late October with abuse of power over a 2004 procurement deal involving military trucks. Prosecutors say the contract cost the state millions …

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said on Saturday (January 30th) that Western Balkan countries have made significant progress and are moving fast along their road to EU integration.Bildt acknowledged some open issues in the region, but said the situation is nevertheless much better than in the last six months of …

Efforts to improve ties between Turkey and Armenia and to open their common border might fail, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said after meeting with Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian on Friday (January 29th). Speaking to journalists in London on the sidelines of an international conference on Afghanistan, Davutoglu said that …