Eurasia

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earns 11 percent more than his boss, President Dmitry Medvedev, according to asset declarations released on Monday under a Kremlin anti-graft drive. Medvedev, who ordered the disclosures, is technically the most powerful man in Russia, but observers have long claimed that former president Putin is …

ANKARA, Turkey – US President Barack Obama arrived in Ankara late on Sunday (April 5th) on his first official visit to Turkey since taking office in January. During his two-day stay, Obama is meeting with counterpart Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other government officials. They will focus …

BELGRADE, Serbia – NATO is ready to improve its relations with Serbia, but Serbia’s accession into NATO is entirely a domestic decision, outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Saturday (April 4th).

PRISTINA, Kosovo – Italy will neither withdraw its troops from KFOR nor reduce its staff in the mission, local media quoted Italian government officials as saying on Monday (April 6th). Italy will not make any move in that direction without a decision by NATO, Italian Deputy Defence Minister Giuseppe Cossiga …

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The European Commission (EC) has decided to delay its decision over releasing 143m euros in funds under the ISPA pre-accession programme until the end of May, local media reports said Sunday (April 5th).

NICOSIA, Cyprus – President Demetris Christofias said on Saturday (April 4th) that Greek Cypriots will not accept any change to the ongoing negotiation process aimed at reunifying the divided island. This includes setting deadlines for completing talks or possible UN arbitration. “These principles have been accepted by the international community, …

TIRANA, Albania – Opposition party leaders said on Sunday (April 5th) the country’s accession into NATO is an achievement for all Albanians, who did what it took to merit membership.

Bucharest. Romanian government “expressed its readiness” to render help to Italian authorities ,if it is necessary, after the earthquake in Italy. This was said in a letter sent by Romanian Prime Minster Emil Boc to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Bulgarian government has asked Russia to avoid using Bulgaria’s gas pipeline network for transit purposes in its South Stream project. Thus, Russia will have to build a separate gas pipeline in Bulgaria, Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy, Yavor Kuyumdzhiev, stated in an interview on Bulgarian National Radio late …

Brussels fears that the involvement of European officials in key positions in Bulgaria’s administration may unnecessarily complicate reforms here, a commissioner said in Sofia. Margot Wallstrom, Vice President of the European Commission and Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy Commissioner, commented the extraordinary new plan, hatched by the government, to involve …