BULGARIA President Georgi Purvanov conferred the Stara Planina, first class, on outgoing Finnish ambassador to Bulgaria Kauko Jämsén. He received the highest Bulgarian state honour for his extraordinary contribution to the development of Bulgarian-Finnish relations and trade. Trade between the two countries more than tripled over the past four years, …

SOFIA, Bulgaria I have not understood new government’s position on energy projects, said former Prime Minister (PM) Sergey Stanishev in the Parliament, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed. “I read carefully statements of different ministers-they contradict. Thus we asked for clear government’s position on all key energy projects for Bulgaria. The …

BiH The judge indicates that the Radovan Karadzic case is “ready for trial”, though he declines to set a date for the trial to begin. Iain Bonomy said that the Radovan Karadzic case is “ready for trial” and that he will inform the Court President of this. However, a date …

SKOPJE, Macedonia Today, Zoran Jolevski, Macedonia’s negotiator in the Athens-Skopje name talks, is expected to give his country’s response to the latest set of proposals tabled by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz. On Wednesday, Greece said that it would not accept the latest Nimetz proposals if a compromise formulation of Macedonia’s …

PRISTINA, Kosovo The EU rule of law mission, EULEX, cannot and will not sign any agreement in the name of Kosovo, EULEX head Yves De Kermabon said on Thursday. Kermabon was speaking after a meeting with Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. “EULEX, as a technical rule …

CHISINAU, Moldova The vice president of the Liberal Party (PL) Dorin Chirtoaca, who headed the party’s list of candidates, will refuse the MP seat and will remain mayor of Chisinau. Chirtoaca made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday. In actual fact, Dorin Chirtoaca made public his decision at …

BELGRADE, Serbia Russian ambassador in Belgrade Aleksandr Konuzin said that a series of strategic agreements will be signed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit. A representative delegation will be accompanying Medvedev during his first trip to Serbia, expected in late October. The visit is expected to include discussions on a …

THE HAGUE, Holland Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić said on Tuesday that he did not regret his role in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina and that his conscience was clear. Karadžić, who is being tried on war crimes and genocide charges by the UN tribunal in The Hague, added that …

MOSCOW, Russia Some 64 missing workers, trapped in one of Russia’s biggest power plants after an explosion, are almost certainly dead. Now relatives have been told the grim news. Families gathered to hear officials say there is little hope for anyone caught in the flooded turbine hall. It is thought …

SOCHI President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a battle-hardened Russian general “to put in order” troubled Ingushetia. It comes a day after a suicide bomb attack defied Moscow’s control of its restive southern flank. Twenty people died and 136 were wounded in the most powerful blast in years when explosives packed …