March, 2009

• 13 March

  Serbia Govt Debates Anti Discrimination Bill

  The Serbian government plans to debate the controversial anti-discrimination bill on Friday, and says it will consider some of the changes that religious communities have requested. Branko Ruzic from the Socialist Party of Serbia told B92 he did not expect any problems at today’s cabinet meeting and believed the bill …

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• 13 March

  Insults at Macedonia’s Presidential Breakfast

  A joint breakfast for the candidates for president in Macedonia’s up coming elections that was supposed to add a positive tone to the campaign was somewhat undermined after one of the contestants verbally attacked his opponent. As three of the candidates were waiting for the other four to arrive, Georgi …

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• 13 March

  Turkish Cities Sever Bulgarian Ties Over Armenia

  Twelve Turkish municipalities have severed ties with their Bulgarian sister cities, because the latter have classified the deaths of hundred of thousands of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 as genocide, Bulgarian National Radio said, citing Turkish-language newspaper Hürriyet.

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• 13 March

  Kosovo Battle Moves to Maldives

  The recognition of Kosovo’s independence by the Maldives has created a furore in this small chain of Indian Ocean islands. After a good of lobbying by Kosovo politicians, the Maldives recognised the country on February 19. But just two weeks on, President Mohamed Nasheed has ordered police to investigate allegations …

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• 13 March

  Ivanov Leads Elections Polls, Selmani Runner Up

  Imer Selmani, the head of the freshly formed New Democracy party has a serious chance of becoming the first ethnic Albanian to ever enter the second round of Macedonia presidential election, the latest opinion poll shows. The presidential candidate of the main ruling VMRO DPMNE party, Georgi Ivanov leads the …

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• 13 March

  Macedonia Stages Most Complex Election Ever

  The voting process in Macedonia’s presidential and local election to be held on March 22 – with a likely second round on April 5 – will be the most complex ever staged in Macedonia’s democratic history, the head of the State’s Election Commission said on Thursday. The situation will be …

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• 13 March

  Somber Anniversary Marks Serbian PM’s Murder

  Ministers, friends and former colleagues Thursday paid tribute to Serbia’s first democratically elected prime minister Zoran Djindjic, shot in front of his government’s headquarters exactly six years ago, on March 12. Current Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković, other members of his government, as well as former members of Djindjic’s government plced …

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• 13 March

  Russians in Visa Free Travel Deal to Bulgaria

  Russians aged under 18 will get free tourist visas for Bulgaria when making group visits, the Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremedchiev was quoted as saying by Focus news agency on Thursday. Teachers accompanying the groups will also get a free visa provided there is one teacher for every 15 …

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• 12 March

  Slovenia Says Croatia Must Agree Mediation Goals

  Slovenia vetoed Zagreb`s EU accession talks in December because of the border dispute, which goes back to the 1991. Slovenia’s foreign minister insisted on Wednesday that Slovenia and Croatia must agree on the basic goal of an EU mediation effort in their border conflict before Croatia can continue its EU …

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• 12 March

  Inzko becomes EU’s man in Bosnia

  Austrian diplomat is now all but certain to become the international community’s representative. An Austrian diplomat, Valentin Inzko, has been appointed to be the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the United States government dropped its opposition. The appointment was made by EU member states in …

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