Italy strongly supports the European integration of the Western Balkans and backs thawing the Interim Trade Agreement between the EU and Serbia, says Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. “Italy is decisively engaged in convincing its partners in the EU who do not support the unfreezing of the Interim Trade Agreement …

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov is pledging swift action to crack down on crime, The Sofia Echo reports. In a move designed to assuage investor and European Commision, EC, concerns about endemic organised crime in Bulgaria, Borisov has signaled his determination to rid the country of serious criminality – a …

Three months after accusations of government vote-rigging touched off street violence, Moldovans began voting on Wednesday in parliamentary elections that could shift the former Soviet republic’s focus away from Russia and toward the European Union. Polls suggested the ruling Communist Party was leading with about 31 percent, but analysts said …