A key element of Obama’s plan is to erode militants’ power by strengthening local leaders, who can in turn provide incentives for foot soldiers to switch sides. Reporting from Washington — The Obama administration’s plan to overhaul the Afghanistan war will include a reinvigorated effort to sap the strength and …

As a solution for the border problem with Serbia, at Danube River, Serbian PM sees drawing it in the middle of the river. Before meeting with Croatian Prime Minster Ivo Sanader, Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that Serbia will invite Croatia to drop its lawsuit against Serbia for genocide …

Deputy Kyriakos Mitsotakis was not at his office at the time of the attack, the latest violence to rock the conservative government. Unidentified assailants exploded a homemade bomb at the office of a Greek ruling party deputy on Wednesday, causing damage but no injuries, police said. Deputy Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 41, …

After a meeting with President Danilo Turk, Pahor declined to comment Rehn’s suggestion on a joint statement between Croatia and Slovenia. Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor on Wednesday refused to comment the possibility of Croatia and Slovenia signing a joint statement that would confirm that no document signed after the …

Albania has never held an election deemed free and fair by international observers. Albania’s opposition urged the government on Wednesday to give identity cards to voters for free to avoid charges of fraud at the June 28 elections. Albania has never held an election deemed free and fair by international …

KIEV, Ukraine – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will travel to Russia early next month to seek a $5 billion (euro3.66 billion) loan for Ukraine’s collapsing economy, her office said Thursday, defying the pro-Western president who is her bitter political rival. President Viktor Yushchenko has assailed Tymoshenko over her efforts to …

TBILISI – Georgia plans to build a high voltage electricity line to Turkey that will increase its exporting capacity tenfold, according to Sulkhan Zumburidze, director of the state power dispatcher Georgian State Electrosystem. Zumburidze told Reuters on Thursday that the project will cost 220 million euros to complete, and will …

BUCHAREST – Romania’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission is only meant as a preventive measure, Prime Minister Emil Boc said on Wednesday. “The agreement we are going to conclude with the European Commission and the IMF is meant only as a preventive measure, which …

Bulgaria’s former tsar and prime minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg did not rule out joining forces with the ethnic Turks ahead of the general and European Parliament elections in the summer. The NMSP centrist party leader confirmed talks on forming a pre-election coalition with the Turkish DPS are underway just days after …

Bulgaria exported a total of 57 million liters of wine in 2008, and nearly all of those – 56 million liters – went to Russia, Belarus, and Moldova. This was announced by Bulgaria’s Minister of Agriculture and Foods, Valeri Tzvetanov, as he opened Wednesday morning “Vinaria 2009”, the international exhibition …