December, 2008

• 13 December

  Iran, Belarus Move to Expand Ties

  TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and Belarus agreed to establish a joint economic commission in a bid to further expand relations. The decision was made during a Thursday meeting in Minsk between Belarusian Prime Minister Sergey Sidorskiy and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who arrived in the Belarusian capital the same day …

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• 13 December

  Iranian, Egyptian Speakers Call for Rapid Help to Palestinians

  TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and the Speaker of the Egyptian People’s Assembly Ahmad Fathi Surur in a phone conversation called for taking more practical steps to speed up helping people in Gaza Strip. Larijani called for Islamic countries specifically Egypt possessing a unique geographical position to take …

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• 13 December

  Mottaki Views Bush Policy on Afghanistan Failure

  TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Friday evening that US President George W. Bush’s policies in Afghanistan have failed and that the time is ripe for changing them. Speaking to reporters upon arrival in Tehran from his two-day official visit to Belarus, he termed his Belarus visit as …

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• 11 December

  Serb Opposition Delay Debate on Reforms

  Dismayed by the parliamentary speaker’s decision to prolong Monday’s session, opposition lawmakers spent four hours citing breaches in the parliamentary code instead of debating laws. The session ended at 0200 in the morning on Tuesday, with little ground being covered in the debates needed for a set of important judiciary …

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• 11 December

  Corruption “Humongous” in Bosnia

  Corruption in Bosnia is of “humongous proportions” and the governments’ anti-corruption efforts are “disappointing,” the top international envoy to Sarajevo has said. Bosnia’s High Representative Miroslav Lajcak has said that all aspects of corruption – including bribery, fraud, nepotism, tax evasion and all others – are present in the country.

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• 11 December

  Slovenia Seeks Policy Change on ‘the Erased’

  The chief of Slovenia’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission says Ljubljana may review its policy on the thousands of ex-residents who were refused Slovene citizenship after 1991. Ivo Vajgl said the so-called ‘erased people’ would receive documents and be compensated.

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• 11 December

  Moldova ‘Wants Good Ties with Romania’

  Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin has been cited as saying by his country’s state-owned news agency, that he wants good relations with often tense neighbour, Romania. “We have absolutely nothing against the Romanian people and state. Romania is our neighbour, a member of the European Union. That is why, it would …

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• 11 December

  Slovenia ‘Postpones Kosovo Donations’

  Slovenia’s government is postponing donations worth €500,000 to Kosovo planned for this year, Belgrade’s Beta news agency reports. The exact reason for the postponement is not known although the money will be handed over to Pristina authorities next year.

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• 11 December

  Ahtisaari: Serbia Must Face Past Wrongs

  Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari says Serbia must recognise past wrongs in its relationship with Kosovo before it is ready to join the European Union. The former Kosovo envoy says the Serbs “have to be able to live with their past.”

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• 11 December

  Greek Mayor ‘Wants Albania’s EU Bid Blocked’

  The ethnic Greek mayor of the Albanian southern town of Himara has come under harsh criticism after asking Greece not to ratify a key deal seen as a vital step in Albania’s EU bid. According to a memo leaked to the local media, the mayor, Vasil Bollano, who is also …

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