June, 2011

• 10 June

  Western Balkan countries retain visa-free regime

  The EU Council of Ministers did not discuss any temporary suspension of visa-free regime for the Western Balkans countries. The ministers have concluded that the Western Balkan countries “have made certain progress” even though “many asylum

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• 10 June

  A team appointed by EU to investigate Kosovo trafficking allegations

  The EU has decided to appoint a special prosecutor and a team to investigate the Kosovo human organ trafficking allegations. A team of 7 people, headed by a special prosecutor is expected to carry out the investigation. In March, EULEX said that a special team of prosecutors and investigators would …

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• 10 June

  Hillary Clinton visits Serbia

  United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Belgrade this afternoon and started her visit to Serbia. Clinton arrived here from Bosnia, for meetings with top Serbian state officials, and first met with Serbian President Boris Tadić.

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• 10 June

  NATO weighs in on Kosovo Security Forces’ Role

  The NATO-led mission in Kosovo says that a recent government memo proposing a new policing role for the Kosovo Security Forces has no legal basis. “There is no legal basis that can give the Kosovo Security Forces, KSF, the right to carry out

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• 10 June

  Serb refugees hoping to delay Croatia’s EU accession

  As Zagreb awaits good news on its EU entry talks on Friday, Serb refugees from Croatia are hoping to postpone the country’s membership until their demands are met. The Coalition of Refugee Associations in Serbia, made up of ethnic Serbs who fled Croatia during the conflict in the 1990s, is …

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• 10 June

  France says Romania and Bulgaria were delayed Schengen because of corruption

  France has cited corruption at the borders as the main argument for delaying Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the EU passport-free Schengen area, though acknowledging the two countries have met all technical requirements.

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• 9 June

  Serbia, Azerbaijan moving towards a strategic partnership

  Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev started his two-day visit to Serbia on Wednesday – today he and Serbian counterpart Boris Tadić will be in Novi Sad. Aliyev said yesterday that cooperation between the two countries had significantly stepped up lately, and that this visit showed that relations between them had strategic …

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• 9 June

  Karadzic says that Bosniak and Croat leaders bear responsibility for starting the war

  At the trial of Radovan Karadzic, the indictee says that Bosniak and Croat leaders began arming themselves before Serbs, and therefore bear responsibility for the start of the war. During cross-examination, Karadzic said that Prosecution witness Patrick Treanor failed to consider many things when he made his conclusions, adding that …

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• 9 June

  Tomislav Mercep, a former Croatian official, indicted for 1991 war crimes

  Tomislav Mercep, a top advisor in Croatia’s wartime Interior Ministry, has been indicted for war crimes against civilians committed in 1991. The Zagreb County Prosecutor’s Office issued the indictment against Mercep, who has been in custody since December, for war crimes against civilians committed in 1991.

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• 9 June

  Bulgaria and Romania were denied joining Schengen

  The hopes of Bulgaria and Romania of joining the Schengen visa zone had a major setback on June 9 2011 when European Union justice and home affairs ministers decided to postpone a decision on the applications.

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