July, 2009

• 15 July

  UN monitors to leave Georgia

  The last remaining United Nations observers in Georgia leave their posts on Wednesday, a month after their mandate expired.The UN Security Council failed to extend the mission of the 130 observers last month, due to a Russian veto. Last August, Russia backed Abkhazia’s declaration of independence from Georgia. But no …

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• 15 July

  Romania closes embassy in Cyprus after diplomats caught flu virus

  NICOSIA The consulate of Romania’s embassy in Nicosia has been temporarily closed because its consular and diplomatic staff caught the A/H1N1 influenza virus. A statement posted on the embassy’s website says the measures have been taken “to prevent the contamination of the citizens asking for consular services, and for allowing …

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• 15 July

  New Bulgarian Parliament Swears in

  The MP’s from Bulgaria’s recently elected new Parliament swore in at its first session on Tuesday. Six parties have entered Bulgaria’s top legislative body – Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov’s center-right GERB, the Socialist-led Coalition for Bulgaria, the Movement for rights and Freedoms, the Blue Coalition, far right nationalists ATAKA and …

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• 15 July

  Croatia pledges support to Macedonia

  ZAGREB Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor has told Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov that Zagreb supports Skopje’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Kosor said that the deadlock in Croatia’s negotiating process with the European Union had negatively impacted on the countries of South-East Europe, according to a statement from the Croatian government.

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• 15 July

  “Croatia committed to regional cooperation”

  ZAGREB Croatian President Stjepan Mesić says that his country remains committed to regional cooperation and removing all obstacles in the way of such cooperation. 

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• 15 July

  Solana: “Opportunity” For Macedonia Name Deal

  Now is the right moment for a compromise solution to the row between Athens and Skopje over Macedonia’s name, the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said on Tuesday in Skopje. During talks with Macedonia’s Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, Solana urged the leadership to do everything in its power …

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• 15 July

  EU Visa Policy Accused of Creating Muslim Gettos

  The Young European Federalist Movement, JEF, has criticized the EU visa liberalisation policy towards the Western Balkans, arguing that it could potentially create new divisions and anti-EU sentiments by leaving out Muslim minorities. The European Commission will ask the EU Council this week to offer visa-free travel to citizens of …

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• 15 July

  Thaci: ‘Belgrade Is Considering Recognising Kosovo’

  Belgrade is considering recognising Kosovo’s independence, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci claimed today. Kosovo’s government spokesman, Memli Krasniqi, confirmed to Balkan Insight that Thaci told Belgrade journalists today that Serbia was considering recognising Kosovo as a country.

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• 15 July

  EU Unblocks Romania Farm Aid

  he European Union has unblocked aid to Romanian farmers that had been frozen over a year ago due to disbursement irregularities and financial mismanagement, Romania’s Agriculture Ministry said on Monday. 

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• 15 July

  Solana rules out new conditions on Serbia’s EU bid

  BELGRADE, Serbia EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana visited Belgrade on Monday (July 13th) and insisted there will be no new conditions on Serbia’s path towards the EU. Sceptics have long believed that at some point, Serbia will be forced to acknowledge Kosovo’s independence to become an EU member.

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