March, 2009

• 31 March

  NATO members send ratified documents for Croatia, Albania’s entry

  WASHINGTON, United States – As required, all NATO member states sent the US State Department their ratified documents regarding Croatia and Albania’s entry into the Alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer confirmed on Monday (March 30th). Portugal and Slovenia were the last two countries to comply. De Hoop Scheffer …

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• 31 March

  Greece rejects Macedonian proposals for improving relations

  ATHENS, Greece – Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis has rejected an initiative by Macedonian counterpart Antonio Milososki aimed at improving strained relations between the two neighbours, media reported on Monday (March 30th). In a letter to Bakoyannis on March 13th, Milososki suggested that the two countries should overcome their differences by …

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• 31 March

  Jeremic says Serbia does not expect SAA to be implemented soon

  VIENNA, Austria – Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said on Monday (March 30th) he does not expect his country’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU to be implemented any time soon. It hinges on arresting war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic. At a meeting with Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger …

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• 31 March

  EULEX takes over investigation of organ trafficking case

  PRISTINA, Kosovo – EULEX has taken over an organ trafficking case that allegedly victimised Serbs in 1999, local media reported on Tuesday (March 31st). EULEX officials said they have received a file from Serb judicial authorities, in which prosecutors argue that the Kosovo Liberation Army removed the

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• 31 March

  BiH to start issuing biometric passports at year’s end

  SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) – The issuing of biometric passports will begin on December 31st, BiH’s Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange announced on Monday (March 30th). A German company won the bid for providing the passports and signed a contract with the government last month. The …

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• 31 March

  Spain releases PKK suspects on bail

  MADRID, Spain – A Spanish court has released on bail Remzi Kartal, a former lawmaker from Turkey’s disbanded Democracy Party and suspected former commander of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish media reported on Monday (March 30th).

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• 31 March

  Amnesty International accuses Greek police of violating human rights

  LONDON, the United Kingdom – The international human rights watchdog Amnesty International accused Greek police of using excessive force and violating the rights of demonstrators in a report released on Monday (March 30th).

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• 31 March

  Topi says elections key test for Albania’s transition from past to future

  TIRANA, Albania – Running democratic elections that comply with international standards will be the best way for Albania to divide its historic and political past from the future, President Bamir Topi said on Monday (March 30th).

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• 31 March

  Serbia: White List “Feasible” by End of Year

  The Serbian government has done its utmost to enact necessary laws for Serbia to accede to the Schengen “white list” by the end of 2009, says the European Integration Office. European Integration Office Director Milica Delevic told B92 that a special migration management strategy and three action plans were required …

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• 31 March

  Poll Suggests Low Macedonian Turn-out

  Opinion polls in Macedonia suggest that Georgi Ivanov of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE will defeat his rival, Ljubomir Frckovski, in the country’s April 5 presidential elections. A poll by the Democratic Institute found that 25 percent of voters would support Ivanov while 15 percent would vote for Frckoski. The poll also …

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