AUSTRALIA Dragan Vasiljković, better known as Captain Dragan, who is wanted in Croatia for war crimes, has been released from prison in Australia. Vasiljković has spent four years in custody waiting for a decision on his extradition to Croatia. His appeal against extradition was upheld after the Australian Federal Court …

SERBIA The Commission for Establishing Truth about the Murder of Dragoljub Mihailović has dismissed press speculation that he is buried on Ada Ciganlija. “Information published in certain media that the Commission for Establishing Truth about the Murder of Dragoljub Mihailović received information from military intelligence about the site of his …

RUSSIA A senior official says Russia may have to “take a break” from the CoE Parliamentary Assembly if Georgia’s motion to strip Moscow of its voting rights succeeds. Konstantin Kosachyov, who also heads Russia’s delegation in PACE, said Georgia had announced that it plans to put forward the proposal during …

GEORGIA The USA passed a new border checkpoint in Kazbegi to the Georgian Government on September 4. It was opened by U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft. Georgian Minister of Finance Kakha Baindurashvili, heads of Border and Patrol Police – Zaza Gogava and Giorgi Grigalashvili attended the opening of the …

GEORGIA The Deputy Speaker of Georgian Parliament, Georgi Tsereteli, has held several meetings while on an unofficial visit to Hungary. Georgia’s internal situation was discussed there. Tsereteli met with the spokesman from the CE Monitoring Committee, Matias Yorsh, and members of the Hungary-Georgia Friendship Group in Hungary’s Parliament, Yanosh Horvat …

ROMANIA Romania’s Prince Radu Duda has withdrawn from the country’s presidential race. Radu – the son-in-law of former Romanian monarch King Michael – pulled out of the race because he feared the election campaign wouldn’t be “fair”. Writing on his blog, the royal said: “I withdraw with regrets but with …

BULGARIA Bulgaria has expected confirmation Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov cannot meet Spaska Mitrova’s mother request and pardon her daugther, deputy foreign minister Marin Raykov said. “I am still waiting to see such letter has been received by her family. Of course, both we and the Bulgarian society will draw conclusions …

BULGARIA “The Council of Ministers passed a decree for cutting the expenses at the institutions and increasing the revenues collectability. It is expected for the measures to secure balanced budget by the end of 2009. The measures envisaging restriction of the expenses met the positive evaluation of the participants at …

HOLLAND Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said on Friday he needs precisely 14,171 extra hours to prepare his defense against charges of war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, because of the sheer scope of documents and testimony that must be reviewed. Karadzic’s request comes days after prosecutors …

TURKEY The European Commission’s progress report on Turkey, which is expected to be released on Oct. 14, is likely to include praise for the government’s democratic initiative involving the country’s Kurds and the recent protocols announced between Turkey and Armenia.