Balkans

In 2022, the Montenegrin authorities started investigating a retired Yugoslav navy officer and put a Bosnian Serb Army ex-soldier on trial, but there were few other signs of progress towards dealing with the country’s wartime past. During the past few months, Montenegro’s new state prosecutor Vladmir Novovic has made minor …

Switzerland has been hosting discreet meetings between officials of Kosovo and Serbia in an effort to defuse tensions in the Balkan region. A stand-off has developed in northern Kosovo with its Serbian neighbours as an incident over car number plates has escalated. Members of the local Kosovar police force resigned …

The European Union (EU) – Western Balkans Countries summit[2] was organized on 6 December in Tirana. It was an opportunity to discuss joint resolution of the issues that emerged as a consequence of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, intensification of the political dialogue and the enlargement policy, as well as strengthening of …

Bulgaria rejected accusations that its border guards shot a Syrian refugee in October, according to Zaman al-Wasl. Bulgaria rejected accusations that its border guards shot a Syrian refugee in October after a video released Monday showed a man being fired at on the European country’s border with Turkey. The footage …

Kosovo Authorities reached deal with Belgrade over license plates, ending nearly two-year dispute that had fuelled worrying rise in tensions. Pristina and Belgrade 23 Nov struck European Union (EU)-brokered deal to end license plate dispute amid growing concerns of possible violence. According to EU High Representative Josep Borrell, “Serbia will …

As Budapest actively implements its own “Look to the East” policy, Tehran will find a potentially useful partner in Europe. Upon signing the protocol of the third session of the joint commission for economic cooperation between Iran and Hungary on 16 November, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó expressed support for …

Ever-closer cooperation with Baku has the potential to relieve the Balkan states’ worryingly high levels of energy dependence on Moscow. Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, visited two Balkan countries one week apart in November this year. During the first trip, to Albania, it was decided to establish an Azerbaijani diplomatic mission. …

Thousands of migrants are trapped in Slovakia as the Czechs prevent them from crossing into their territory, while Hungary refuses to take back those that crossed from there into Slovakia. The government is struggling to come up with a solution. On the balcony of one of several blocks of flats …

Заедно можем повече, отколкото поотделно Добрата новина в лошата е, че заедно не ни пуснаха в Шенген с Румъния. Ако само България бе останала нищо чудно да ни бяха изхвърлили изобщо от ЕС. И без това ни редят в нещо като Б група, но ако бяхме само ние щеше да …

Kroatien soll zum Schengen-Raum dazugehören, Rumänien und Bulgarien aber nicht. Wären Menschenrechte das Kriterium, dann sähe es auch für Kroatien düster aus. Die Freizügigkeit ist eine der wichtigsten Errungenschaften der Europäischen Union (EU). Wer will, dass Europa enger zusammenwächst, kann es deswegen nur begrüßen, wenn der Schengen-Raum erweitert wird, in …