The European Union does not recognise the presidential election in the breakaway region of Abkhazia and continues to back Georgia’s territorial integrity, the Swedish EU presidency said yesterday. “The European Union does not recognise the constitutional and legal framework within which these elections have taken place,” the EU presidency said …

The European Union’s new President Herman Van Rompuy on Monday praised the efforts of Bulgaria’s new government to fight recession and clean the Balkan country’s image marred by rampant corruption and crime. The center-right cabinet of Boiko Borisov, which won July general elections, has taken steps to punish corrupt officials, …

Romanian President Traian Basescu has had his December 6th election victory confirmed. The recount of some 137,000 annulled votes was completed early on Monday, doing nothing to change the result, and his rival Mircea Geoana was quick to accept defeat and wish Basescu well.