July, 2012

• 10 July

  Macedonia to Start Building Rail Link to Bulgaria

  Macedonia should complete its long-awaited rail link to the Bulgarian border by 2022, after beginning work in 2013, the Transport Minister said.Minister Mile Janakieski said the country plans to start building the first section of the railway towards the eastern border by March 2013. He said that talks with the …

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• 10 July

  Macedonia Awaits Greek Reply to Olive Branch

  Athens has yet to respond to Macedonia’s request for intensified bilateral cooperation and a declaration of friendship.Athens has yet to issue any official response after Macedonia at the weekend proposed a set of bilateral agreements with Greece to be crowned by a declaration of friendship and cooperation. But, off the …

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• 10 July

  Serbia’s President Discusses Kosovo with Patriarch

  After private meeting with Church leader, President says he remains open to dialogue with leaders of breakaway Kosovo.Tomislav Nikolic, Serbia’s new President, met with Patriarch Irinej, the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, on Monday to discuss the Kosovo issue. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Nikolic said he remained open …

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• 9 July

  Srebrenica Victims Plan Suit Over Destruction of Items

  Families of the Srebrenica genocide victims say they plan to sue those responsible within the Hague Prosecution for destruction of around a thousand artifacts found in mass graves.The artifacts were destroyed in 2005, on the tenth anniversary of the execution of over 7,000 people from Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces. …

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• 9 July

  Thaci-Tadic Handshake Stirs Controversy

  While some have strongly condemned a handshake between Kosovo prime minister and former Serbian president, others dubbed it a belated move.Not for a long time has a handshake attracted so much attention in the Balkans as the one between Hashim Thaci, Kosovo Prime Minister, and Boris Tadic, former Serbian president …

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• 9 July

  Romania’s Parliament Suspends President Ahead of Referendum

  Ruling parties push through motion suspending Traian Basescu from his position while setting date for referendum on removing him from his post.Romania’s parliament late on Friday voted to suspend Traian Basescu as the country’s President for 30 days and announced the date of a referendum as next stage of a …

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• 9 July

  Serbia, Bulgaria Museums Reject Macedonian Plea For Copies

  Serbian and Bulgarian museums holding archeological treasures found on Macedonian soil have turned down a Macedonian request for them to hand over copies.Archeologist Pasko Kuzman, head of the Macedonian Cultural Heritage Bureau, says that national museums in Belgrade and in Sofia had “turned us down politely”. Macedonia hoped to be …

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• 9 July

  Kosovo Still Short on Rule of Law, EULEX Report

  Kosovo institutions have achieved a good deal since 2008, but progress is still needed in the field of the rule of law, the 2012 EULEX report says.The latest report takes stock of the work done by European Union mission in Kosovo, EULEX and its Kosovo counterparts since the launch of …

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• 6 July

  Albania Spy Chief Resigns Amid Arm’s Row

  The head of the Army’s Secret Service, Colonel Ylli Zyla, resigned on Thursday following media reports linking his wife to arms traders.“I am resigning to protect my integrity, the integrity of my family and the integrity of the army’s secret service as an institution part of NATO member state,” Zyla …

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• 6 July

  Srebrenica Mayor Urges Bosniaks to Vote in Polls

  Srebrenica mayoral candidate Camil Durakovic and his campaign manager Emir Suljagic said the October local elections represent a critical point not only for the iconic town but also for the country.“The war is not over,” Suljagic told students attending a two week summer university in Srebrenica, occurring during the annual …

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