Balkan News

The European Commission, EC, will release an opinion on Montenegro’s application for EU membership in autumn 2010. The progress report on Montenegro shows that the country’s relations with the EU have been positive and that Podgorica has continued to make progress in fulfilling political criteria. However, the country continues to …

European Parliament, EP, rapporteur on visa issues, Tanja Fajon, has reiterated her strong support for the inclusion of western Balkan states in the EU visa-free scheme. Fajon said she believes that all nationals of western Balkan states should be allowed to travel freely to EU member states, as soon as …

Serbia’s security agencies say that the fact that Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić have still to be arrested is a “relative failure”. The security services (BIA) and military security services (VBA), which are in charge of locating the Hague indictees, say that it is a “relative failure” that Ratko Mladić …

India’s public is appalled at Albania’s request for transfer of remains of humanist Mother Teresa from India to Albania. The Mother Teresa Humanitarian Mission in India claim that Albania did not accept Mother Teresa during communist-era and that now such a request should be rejected. The reactions in India came …

Western patience with Bosnia’s bickering local leaders is running out, the country’s top international envoy, High Representative Valentin Inzko, reportedly said Tuesday. “We will no longer tolerate blockades and a lack of willingness to reform on the part of the Bosnians, Croats and Serbs,” local media outlets quoted Inzko as …

Kosovo’s prime minister has welcomed a European Commission, EC, progress report, despite the fact it contains strong criticism of his country. “For the first time in the history of Kosovo, the clear guideline for the European [path] of the Republic of Kosovo will be included in the Progress Report and …

On Tuesday, the Macedonian parliament will debate an opposition motion of no confidence in Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska and Transport Minister Mile Janakieski. The motion was filed by the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, SDSM, which is seeking to hold the two ministers responsible for the September 6 tour …

Hashim Thaci says he is not surprised by the European Commissions report stating that “the Serbian government is creating parallel bodies in Kosovo”. According to the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština prime minister, the same report also states that the Kosovo government does not have control “of the entire territory”. …

Republic of Srpska (RS) PM Milorad Dodik said that Bosnia-Herzegovina could fall apart if the international community continues pressuring its institutions. Dodik said that the international community is “constantly working on violating the sovereignty of Bosnia and the two entities, as well as their institutions”.

Romania is interested in the South Stream project, Aleksei Miller, the head of Russia’s Gazprom said October 8. There were no talks conducted with Romania on the subject before. If Bucharest agrees, Russia will obtain more opportunities to implement the vital project. “It goes about the opportunity to build a …