Balkan News

BRUSSELS, Belgium — EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs implied on Thursday (January 25th) that Bulgaria should not try to reopen discussions on reactors 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy nuclear plant.

President Alfred Moisiu said on Thursday (November 30th) that he is through waiting for the various political parties to agree on electoral reform and will use his constitutional powers this Saturday to set the date for local elections himself. Sources suggest he will choose either January 20th or 21st.

Wrapping up a two-day summit in Riga, leaders of the 26 NATO countries invited Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Montenegro and Serbia to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme — a key step towards membership in the Alliance.

Albanian president schedules municipal elections for January 20th 03/12/2006 TIRANA, Albania — President Alfred Moisiu has set January 20th as the date of Albania’s next municipal elections. A press release issued by his office Saturday (December 2nd) voiced the president’s deep concern over the continued failure of the Albanian political …

The European Commission (EC) recommended on Wednesday (November 29th) a partial suspension of Turkey’s EU membership talks, over the country’s refusal to open its ports and airports to ships and planes from Cyprus.

Wrapping up a two-day summit in Riga, leaders of the 26 NATO countries invited Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Montenegro and Serbia to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme — a key step towards membership in the Alliance.

Nine foreign and four domestic telecom companies have expressed interest in becoming Macedonia’s third mobile operator. The tender was announced late last month, and bids will be accepted through January 12th. By July 2007, the company is expected to be up and running.

Pope Benedict XVI, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I meet in Istanbul 30/11/2006 ISTANBUL, Turkey — The process of dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches was the focus of a closed-door meeting between Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and visiting Pope Benedict XVI in Istanbul on Wednesday (November 29th). They also …

The Greek and Russian foreign ministers voiced hope Wednesday (November 22nd) that a long-delayed pipeline project designed to carry Russian oil to Greece via Bulgaria will be officially given the go-ahead by the end of this year.

The trial of Radovan Stankovic was held almost entirely behind closed doors. As it pronounced its verdict on November 14th, the trial panel cited the need to protect the witnesses’ identity and ensure that justice was served.