August, 2009

• 27 August

  Russia vows to support breakaways

  RUSSIA Russia has vowed to defend the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a year after acknowledging their independence from Georgia. On Wednesday, people celebrated public holidays in the separatist regions to mark the anniversary. The event coincided with the opening of 160Km natural gas pipeline linking Russia directly …

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• 27 August

  Georgia slams railway “robbery” in rebel Abkhazia

  GEORGIA Georgia on Thursday protested plans by its breakaway Abkhazia region to transfer control of the railway in the Black Sea territory to Russia, a move it said amounted to “robbery.” Abkhazia says the Russian railway authority will provide “reconstruction and rehabilitation” for the stretch of line running along the …

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• 27 August

  Greceanyi Government II tenders resignation

  MOLDOVA The Second Greceanyi Government Wednesday offered its resignation as its term in office expired. The new Parliament is to take cognizance of the resignation at its first sitting scheduled for August 28. Until a new cabinet is named, the executive will manage the public affairs, but will make no …

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• 27 August

  Marian Lupu: AEI has not yet distributed posts

  MOLDOVA The president of the Liberal Democratic Party (PDM) Marian Lupu said Wednesday that the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) has not yet decided how to distribute the key posts in the state. “The discussions go on,” Marian Lupu said. Making reference to reliable sources in the AEI, the press …

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• 27 August

  Two Bosnian Serbs arrested on wartime massacre charges

  BiH Bosnian police arrested two Bosnian Serbs on Thursday, including a police officer, suspected of taking part in the massacre of about 200 Muslims and Croats in the 1992-95 Bosnian war, the state prosecutor’s office said. Branko Topola, 41, was arrested in a police station in the northwestern town of …

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• 27 August

  Serbia Suggests Public Sector Cuts

  SERBIA The Serbian government has proposed a 10 per cent cut in the number of public sector employees in talks with an IMF delegation, daily Blic reports. The measure is intended to cover the budget deficit, which is now equivalent to 4.5 per cent of GDP Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic …

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• 27 August

  Macedonia’s Economic Trends are “Catastrophic”

  MACEDONIA Macedonia’s ongoing industrial output contraction plumbed new depths in July, the State Statistical Office revealed. A record near 20 per cent output plunge was registered, when compared to July 2008. This is the tenth month in a row that industrial output has shrunk. Macedonia’s flagship metal industry was the …

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• 27 August

  Planned Privatisations Shake Bosnia

  BiH Bosnia’s Federation entity is preparing to privatise around 30 public companies over the next year, local media reported on Thursday. “Privatisation fever shakes the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” columnist Faruk Vele wrote in a piece published in influential Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz on Thursday. Authorities in the Croat-Bosniak …

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• 27 August

  Reconstruction Work Delayed in Mitrovica

  KOSOVO The rebuilding of Kosovo Albanian homes in north Mitrovica was again delayed on Wednesday, when Serb members of Kosovo’s Police and EU rule of law mission, EULEX, officials prevented workers from entering the construction site. The Krou I Vitakut/Brdjani neighbourhood of Mitrovica has seen repeated violence since Kosovo Albanians …

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• 27 August

  Serb Pilgrims Visit Kosovo

  SERBIA Around 100 Serb pilgrims and former residents of the Kosovo town of Gjakova will be visiting the country on Thursday and Friday to celebrate an Orthodox festival, Kosovo police spokesperson Arber Beka said. The group’s visit marks the festival of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God. “This …

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