October 12, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Macedonia
The US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, Michael Hammer, on Friday urged Macedonia and Greece to step up activities leading to a solution to the long-standing ‘name’ dispute.”The United States would like to see the issue resolved so that Macedonia joins NATO as soon as possible. Again, we …
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October 12, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Croatia, Eurasia, Eurasia News
About ten thousand Croatian teachers, university professors and nurses demonstrated on Thursday in Zagreb against austerity measures and cuts in wages and healthcare.”You betrayed us” and “You protect the wealthy” were among the angry slogans held up at the protest in Zagreb organised by the union of public service workers. …
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October 12, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Serbia
Serbia’s ruling Progressive Party says it will intensify the fight against corruption even if it leads to the fall of the coalition government and a new election.Nebojsa Stefanovic, speaker of parliament and deputy president of the ruling Progressives, said his party would risk a new general election if it felt …
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October 12, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Serbia
Kosovo and Serbia working groups, dealing with implementation of the Integrated Border Management deal, on Thursday agreed in Brussels to put what they had agreed into action.Kosovo and Serbia vowed to honour a deal reached earlier on Integrated Border Management under the auspices of the EU-facilitated dialogue and agreed to …
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October 12, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Bosnia Hertegovina, Eurasia, Eurasia News
Bosnia made scant progress on its EU path as its politicians have little interest in furthering the rule of law or transparency, analysts say, after Brussels delivered its critical report.Laws on the Census and on State Aid were the only significant legislative moves that Bosnia made over the last year …
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October 12, 2012 Albania, Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News
A new bill presented on Wednesday to mark Albania’s 100 years of independence will grant an amnesty to prisoners serving sentences of less than two years.The bill, which is expected to be voted on soon in parliament, will release all prisoners serving less than two years in jail.
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October 10, 2012 Albania, Balkans News, Eurasia News
After being shunned for two years in a row, Albania expects to obtain EU candidate status on Wednesday, though such a recommendation will likely come with a host of conditions.The European Commission is expected this week to recommend granting EU candidate status to Albania, “considering the improvement in the political …
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October 10, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Romania
Bulgaria and Romania are still exchanging accusations ahead of the planned opening of a new Danube bridge.Romanian and Bulgarian officials are still trading complaints ahead of the expected opening of a long-awaited bridge connecting the two countries.
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October 9, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News
The European sovereign debt crisis came back with full force on Tuesday, riots and Nazi uniforms included. German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens, sparking substantial protests and violent clashes with the police. Hours before, the International Monetary Fund had released a report in which …
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October 9, 2012 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Serbia
Infrastructure Minister may face a corruption probe concerning a case involving the issue of illegal permits.Milutin Mrkonjic, Slobodan Milosevic’s favourite builder in the 1990s and Serbia’s Infrastructure Minister, will be the next target in the government’s fight against corruption, Balkan Insight has learned from two independent sources.
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