Acting President Mihai Ghimpu sent a letter to the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Anders Fogh Rasmussen, asking him to provide support in the pullout of the Russian troops from the Transnistrian region. In his letter, Mihai Ghimpu says

Romanian President Traian Basescu declared that the procedures leading to Romania joining the Schengen Zone March 2011 are going smoothly. He said that he is optimistic about Romania’ s chances to join Schengen on spring 2011. He is certain that the EU member states will support Romania on her way …

Bosnia’s new tripartite president was inaugurated yesterday in Sarajevo, following 3 October general elections that saw the Bosniak seat go to Bakir Izetbegovic; the Croat seat go to Zeljko Komsic; and the Serb seat go to Nebojsa Radmanovic. The three will serve a four-year mandate.