The International Monetary Fund has slashed its economic growth forecast for Albania. The IMF has revised its prediction of 2 to 3 per cent growth for Albania’s economy to between 0 and 1 per cent for the 2009 fiscal year. The new projection was announced on Tuesday by Gerwin Bell, …

Sofia – Bulgarian banks put up loan rates and fees, pulled consumer lending products and ended promotions in February as the global financial meltdown raged on, data from personal finance website moitepari.bg shows. DSK Bank, Raiffeisenbank and Emporiki Bank dropped unsecured consumer loan offers from their portfolios. Additionally, Emporiki now …

Hard currency loans to Serbia, Estonia and Latvia are the most at risk of default in central and eastern Europe, according to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF says that Western banks risk losing US$160 billion of a total US$1.6 trillion placed in the central and eastern European region, daily …

CHISINAU – The ruling Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova has won the majority of seats in parliament but will most likely have to reach an agreement with the opposition when the country’s president is elected. Iurie Ciocan, the secretary of Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission, announced the final results …

Moldova’s political crisis centres largely on one man – Vladimir Voronin, the veteran president and leader of the ruling Communist party. After serving since 2001 and completing two terms, Mr Voronin is obliged to stand down. But the 67-year-old former Soviet communist party official is determined to stay in power, …

CHISINAU – Moldova will introduce visa regime with Romania starting from Thursday, April 9, Andrei Stratan, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and European Integration Minister, announced on Wednesday. According to the official, the decision was approved at a government meeting on Wednesday, so as to consolidate efforts of maintaining …

BRUSSELS  – Protests against Moldova’s Communist rulers are the latest threat to stability on the European Union’s eastern border but the bloc is wary of wading into a row that could stoke wider tensions with Russia. Western diplomats say it is too early to judge whether street anger at alleged …

MOSCOW, April 8  – Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin accused the opposition on Wednesday of betraying the interests of the country and attempting to trigger a civil war during disturbances in the capital, Chisinau. Protests against the ruling Communist Party’s victory in Sunday’s elections turned violent on Tuesday, with 5,000 rioters …

Romania dismissed on Wednesday claims by Moldova’s president that it had interfered in his country’s internal affairs, and threatened to expel the Moldavian ambassador. Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin earlier on Wednesday accused Romania of involvement in the riots in Chisinau over the election results, announcing visa restrictions for Romanians and …

CHISINAU, Moldova -Moldova’s president warned on Wednesday that authorities would use force to prevent a repeat of the violent riots that shook the ex-Soviet country after a disputed election victory by his Communist Party. President Vladimir Voronin also accused neighboring Romania of instigating the unrest in Moldova, hours after police …