Balkans

A recent decision by local authorities to separate ethnic Macedonian and ethnic Albanian high school students in different shifts has sparked a debate about the ethnic segregation of young people in a country where ethnic relations are generally calm, but still far from cordial. Earlier this month, Macedonian and Albanian …

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on Kosovo’s judicial authorities to prosecute members of the Romanian police unit believed to be responsible for the death of two men during protests held in Pristina two years ago. “On the second anniversary of the unlawful killing of Mon Balaj and Arben …

Nine artists from Kosovo will get the opportunity to show their work at the Balkan Democracy exhibition, presented at the Palais Thurn und Taxis Art House in Bregenz Austria. The exhibition will offer a glimpse of Kosovo from the 1990s to the present, illustrating a tough but formative time for …

Parts of the Cessna plane which went off the radar near Croatia’s Mount Velebit last Thursday were found this morning on the north side of the Vagan Summit, but there was still no information on the pilots. Source: javno.com Srdjan Vrsalovic, head of the Mountain Search and Rescue Service’s helicopter …

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Wednesday approved the nomination of Dan Nica for the post of Interior Minister, replacing Liviu Dragnea who unexpectedly resigned early this month. Dan Nica, the third Interior Minister this year, is also vice-prime minister in a center-left coalition government. Liviu Dragnea resigned saying the underfunding …

Pristina authorities have started procedures to set up the Kosovo Security Council, an advisory body working to preserve Kosovo’s national security and safeguard its sovereignty. The Council, foreseen in the Ahtisaari Plan that is meant to guide Kosovo’s path to full statehood after its secession from Serbia last February, will …

United Nations- sponsored talks between Macedonia and Greece on the 18-year dispute over Macedonia’s name resume in New York on Wednesday after a four-month break, against a backdrop of intransigent rhetoric and both sides locked in their long-held positions. Officials from both countries said they do not expect UN mediator …

Six Serbs, six Croats, 19 Bosniaks and 26 Ashkali are among the 101 non-Albanian soldiers to have been accepted into Kosovo’s new Security Force, deputy Minister Behxhet Brajshori said on Wednesday Last month Kosovo inaugurated a NATO-sponsored security force that is an army in all but name, taking a firm …

Kosovo’s parliament speaker said Pristina was under no obligation to negotiate with Serbia even on technical issues as long as Serbia had not recognized Kosovo. International officials have long said that Belgrade and Pristina must hold so-called ‘technical talks’ to deal with issues arising from Kosovo’s secession last February, especially …

acedonian presidential candidate Georgi Ivanov, who is backed by the conservative VMRO DPMNE, is leading with 27 percent support over opposition favorite Ljubomir Frckoski who has 13 percent, the latest opinion poll done by local agency “Rating” shows. Third on the list is Imer Selmani, the leader of the newly …