European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said that it is possible for the European Commission (EC) to launch accession talks with several countries from the West Balkans by the end of the year. 

Euro zone finance ministers early this morning withheld the release of a EUR 12 billion loan to Greece, saying they could not authorise the release of the money until the Greek parliament backed a swingeing new austerity plan.

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said that it is not in Serbia’s interest to ever recognize the independence of its breakaway province of Kosovo. He said that should that happen then Serbia could well expect new declarations of independence in other quarters.