Eurasia Press & News

BRUSSELS, Belgium — EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn repeated on Tuesday (5 July) that the European Commission’s draft framework for accession talks with Turkey is the most rigorous ever. During his presentation of the document to the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Rehn stressed that lessons were drawn from the …

ZAGREB, Croatia — President Stipe Mesic called on Tuesday (5 July) for enhanced co-operation between his country and Serbia-Montenegro. Speaking on the eve of his two-day trip to the federal union, Mesic said strengthened ties would help boost the climate of co-operation throughout the region. As for the legacies of …

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Macedonian Justice Minister Meri Mladenovska-Gjorgjievska reiterated on Tuesday (5 July) that Skopje is prepared to prosecute the four cases that the UN tribunal decided to return to the country. Mladenovska-Gjorgjievska outlined the position during talks with tribunal president Theodor Meron and chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte …

PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbia-Montenegro — Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was honoured with a “Golden Medal of Liberty” in Pristina on Tuesday (5 July). During the ceremony in parliament, Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova noted Albright’s commitment to the province, particularly to the settlement of the 1998-1999 crisis. In a …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) — The BiH government adopted a draft agreement on co-operation with the European Police Office (Europol) at its latest session, Security Minister Barisa Colak announced Tuesday (5 July). He added that the document would boost collaboration in preventing, combating and investigating international crime. Colak added …

BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro — The extradition of seven war crimes indictees, including Ratko Mladic, remains a major condition for progress in Serbia-Montenegro’s bid for EU integration, said federal Human and Minority Rights Minister Rasim Ljajic, who also is chairman of the national council for co-operation with the UN tribunal. Ljajic spoke …

TIRANA, Albania — The Central Election Commission complained on Tuesday (5 July) that infighting between the two main political parties has slowed the vote counting from Sunday’s parliamentary election. According to a spokesman, ballot counters in 15 of the country’s 100 counting centres walked off the job on orders from …

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — UN prosecutors announced on Tuesday (5 July) that they want to put nine former Serb military and militia commanders on trial together for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. A spokesman said holding a single trial for all defendants would save time, avoid duplication of evidence and minimise …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) — The Bosnian Serb police on Tuesday (5 July) discovered two large explosive devices close to the site where dignitaries and thousands of mourners will gather on 11 July to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. A total of 35kg of plastic explosives …

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov signed a decree Tuesday (5 July) summoning the country’s new parliament to convene on 11 July. He also urged the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which won the 25 June general election but failed to secure an outright majority, to try to reach agreement on a government …