Eurasia

EU, KFOR and Serbian officials have condemned the tossing of a hand grenade during a Serb protest in the divided northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica on Friday (July 2nd), which killed one man and injured 11 other people. President Boris Tadic called an emergency meeting of the

The IMF announced on Saturday (July 3rd) it has agreed to extend a 913.2m-euro tranche of Romania’s 13.6 billion-euro anti-crisis loan. The Fund’s Board of Directors decided to extend the money after reviewing Romania’s implementation of its anti-crisis programme, which was approved in May 2009. The IMF says the government …

Malta has ratified Serbia’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic announced on Friday (July 2nd), making Malta the second country after Spain to do so. According to an earlier announcement, Italy has started the ratification process, while Austria, Denmark, Finland and Poland plan to launch …

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Ukrainian leaders Friday that the door to membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance remains open. Mrs. Clinton alluded to the newly elected Ukrainian government’s closer alignment to Moscow and

President of Cyprus Dimitris Hristofyas described as a historic challenge the Cypriot EU Presidency in the second half of 2012. Cyprus officially for the first time will take over the six-month rotating EU Presidency in July

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović requested from EULEX to protect Serbs in the province and find and punish those who attacked a rally in Kosovska Mitrovica. “The bomb attack on Serbs gathered on the protest on the occasion of opening the office of the so-called Kosovo government in northern Kosovska …

The Skopje branch of the Islamic Religious Community, IVZ, in Macedonia has warned that radical Islamist groups following Wahhabi teachings are trying to take control of the central mosques in Skopje. Skopje Mufti Ibrahim Shabani, who is the head of the IVZ branch in the capital, made the remarks after …

A group of MEPs representing the European United Left is on a fact-finding visit in Chisinau. The MEPs held today separate meetings with all the factions of the Moldovan Parliament, Info-Prim Neo reports. “We wish to find out more about the state of affairs in Moldova and I am sure …

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele said that EU enlargement will remain a priority during Belgium’s presidency. Belgium’s presidency will face many important issues, including those regarding Western Balkans and Serbia’s candidacy, he said.

Kosovo and Serbia can talk on practical issues only, the issues discussed with Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said. He underscored that Kosovo’s legislators should ignore the ideas on Kosovo’s division or exchange of territories. “There will be no division and that chapter is complete once …