Balkans

Dozens of notorious Balkan crime figures have obtained Bosnian passports using stolen identities and insider access. The cost is borne by innocent citizens, whose names then trigger red alerts at the border. Dozens of violent criminals have fraudulently obtained Bosnian passports in the past decade, taking advantage of an insecure …

A recent rise in tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina has sparked an “extraordinary crisis” as the country continues to emerge from the shadows of the Balkan wars 30 years ago, the UN Security Council heard on Tuesday. High Representative Christian Schmidt briefed on latest developments surrounding implementation of the 1995 …

The statement by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (HDZ), declaring that the Republic of Croatia would not impose sanctions on the President of the Republika Srpska entity, Milorad Dodik (SNSD), represents the most serious blow to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) since December 1991, when a joint criminal enterprise (JCE) was …

A senior British diplomat said “Bosnian Serbs love us to an embarrassing degree” after their rebel army massacred thousands of Muslim civilians in a war where John Major’s government was often seen as pro-Serb. Charles Crawford, Britain’s ambassador to Bosnia who made the remark, added “we need to continue to …

Serbia’s anti-corruption movement has reached new heights: a demonstration in Belgrade this March yielded hundreds of thousands of peaceful protestors and marked the largest demonstration in Serbia since the monumental 1990s protests against the tyrannical Milošević regime. This mass discontent presents the greatest challenge President Aleksandar Vučić has faced to …

The inauguration of the new US administration has set in motion a series of global developments. Chief among them are efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine and to extend the ceasefire in Gaza. The message from the new US President, Donald Trump – “America First” – …

Bosnia and Serbia are back in the news. Bosnia’s dysfunctional political system that was forced upon it through the 1995 Dayton Accords, which bifurcated the country into Serb- and jointly Croat- & Muslim-run halves with a rotating presidency between all three under international supervision, is finally breaking down. Meanwhile in …

The Ministries of Defense of Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo have published the full text of the Joint Defense Declaration, which they signed on March 18 in Tirana. “Due to great public interest, we are publishing the Declaration signed on March 18, 2025, in Tirana by the Ministers of Defense of …

For the first time in his long political career, President Aleksandar Vučić faces a serious public challenge to his leadership. However, his staying power remains strong. The EU has an opportunity to play a significant role in mitigating the unrest while luring Serbia out of Russia’s orbit. The ongoing protests …

A defence agreement signed between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo has sparked a diplomatic spat with neighbour Serbia, which still sees Kosovo as part of its territory and does not recognise its independence. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused Croatia and Albania of starting an “arms race” in the region by signing …