BELGRADE, Serbia The economic crisis will not affect Serbia’s EU accession process, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said on Saturday (May 9th). While acknowledging that the financial crisis has an impact, he noted that several EU officials — including Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn — have made clear …

ATHENS, Greece Former Transport Minister Christos Verelis resigned on Friday (May 8th) as a parliament member representing the main opposition party PASOK, media reported. The catalyst was the launch of a corruption investigation into the purchase of 140 trolley buses in 2001, when he was transport minister. The Athens-Piraeus Electric …

BUCHAREST, Romania The National Liberal Party on Saturday (May 9th) tapped leader Crin Antonescu as its candidate in the autumn presidential elections. The official announcement will come later. Separately on Saturday, Greater Romania Party head Corneliu Vadim Tudor announced his candidacy for president. Incumbent President Traian Basescu and ruling Social …

TIRANA, Albania Politics should remain separate from the judicial system, while justice means treating all citizens equally and fairly, President Bamir Topi said on Sunday (May 10th). He was hosting an event marking the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the Albanian justice system. Topi thanked judges, prosecutors and the …

Georgian Defense Minister David Sikharulidze attended the opening ceremony of NATO exercise which kicked off in Viziani base on May 11. Before the ceremony, NATO representatives said they the Alliance will not sever relations with Russia, although its position is not understandable, Civil.ge reported. The exercise will last till June …

Serbs have ended weeks of protests in northern Kosovo after reaching an agreement with the UN Mission to the country, UNMIK, Serbian media report. According to Tanjug news agency, Serbs in the north of the divided town of Mitrovica stated that they reached an agreement with the international community representatives …

At a parliament ceremony, Tuesday, Georgi Ivanov, took an oath to became Macedonia’s fourth democratically elected head of state in the country’s 18-year history. The ceremony kicked-off at midday with the national anthem, followed by the taking of the oath and the President’s inaugural speech. In that speech, Ivanov stated …

The Students’ Parliament of the State University in Tetovo, DUT, called for an all out Albanian boycott of Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony of Macedonia’s new President Georgi Ivanov. The students appealed to the heads of the ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia, and Albanian President Bamir Topi to boycott the swear-in ceremony …

Bosnia and Herzegovina legs behind all other Balkan countries in implementing reforms that would enable establishment of visa-free regime with EU countries, officials and media said on Tuesday. “Macedonia and Serbia has gone much further in the implementation of conditions for a visa-free regime. Bosnia and Herzegovina is lagging behind, …

Romanian main opposition parties on Monday submitted a motion against the ruling coalition demanding the resignation of the government due of its “poor economic results”. The Liberal Party (PNL) and Party of ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) say that the government has failed to take adequate measures in order shield …