March, 2009

• 6 March

  Croatia To Accept EU Help In Dispute With Slovenia

  EU member Slovenia has blocked 12 chapters, or one-third, of Croatia`s entry negotiations. Croatia will accept the European Union’s offer to mediate in its border row with Slovenia, but it remains unclear if this will be enough to remove the Slovenian veto that has blocked Zagreb’s EU accession talks this …

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• 6 March

  Bulgaria Backs Down On Nuclear Reactors Restart

  Parliament gave the Socialist-led government a mandate in January to seek a permission from the EU to reopen the reactors. Bulgaria has backed down on plans to restart two Soviet-era nuclear reactors and will now focus on lobbying for more European Union compensation for the shut units, officials said on …

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• 6 March

  President Says Serbia Will Catch Mladic

  Serbia continues to gather fresh intelligence on its main war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic and will capture him, President Boris Tadic said on Thursday. “Every day we receive various information about Ratko Mladic and once we gather enough information we will arrest him,” Tadic told reporters. “Serbia is absolutely determined …

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• 6 March

  Russian MP`s Adviser Murdered In Moscow

  The Prosecutor-General`s main investigative unit said it was investigating the murder. An adviser to a deputy speaker of Russia’s parliament was found dead on Thursday in his Moscow flat with multiple stab wounds, Interfax news agency reported, citing the police. Police discovered the body of Alexei Belyaev, an advisor to …

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• 6 March

  EC President Announces Possible Financial Crisis Support for Bulgaria

  The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has suggested that Bulgaria could receive EUR 500 M from preliminary payments through European Programs to help the country through the financial crisis, Bulgarian National Radio reported late Thursday. Barroso’s announcement came after a meeting with Bulgarian PM Sergey Stanishev who …

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• 6 March

  Turkey, Italy and Hungary reiterate their support of Macedonia’s NATO membership

  Zagreb,  – Turkey, Italy and Hungary reiterated Thursday their support of Macedonia’s accession to NATO at meetings with Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski. At the sidelines of enlarged Southeast European Defence Ministerial of the countries from the US-Adriatic Charter in Zagreb, Konjanovski held bilateral talks with his Turkish, Hungarian counterparts Vecdi …

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• 6 March

  Albania seeks loan to cover budget deficit

  Albania’s finance ministry said on Thursday it would borrow 250 million euros (315 million US dollars) from two foreign banks to cover its budget deficit. The ministry said in a statement it chose Deutsche Bank and Greece’s Alpha Bank for the loan from seven bidders who offered to lend the …

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• 6 March

  EU urges Slovenia, Croatia to accept border mediation

  Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn urged Slovenia and Croatia on Thursday to accept the European Union’s mediation in their border row, warning it was the only way to end their 18-year-old feud. “I expect from both countries a positive response,” Rehn told journalists on the sidelines of a meeting of European …

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• 6 March

  Stalled anti-discrimination law sparks outrage in Serbia

  (BELGRADE) – A Serbian government decision to withdraw a draft parliamentary anti-discrimination bill at the request of religious authorities has sparked outrage, local media reported Thursday. The draft, passed by the government last month, was unexpectedly withdrown from the statute book late on Wednesday, a day before the begining of …

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• 6 March

  Archaeology excavations begin at four ancient sites in Macedonia

  Major archaeological excavations have started at four ancient sites around Macedonia, namely at the sites of Heraklea Lynkestis, Skopje’s Kale Fortress, Stobi and Isar. It is expected that the sites will be completely explored, Pasko Kuzman, Director of Cultural Heritage Protection in the Macedonian Ministry of Culture, told the Dnevnik …

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