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The Balkans Today
The Balkans Today: 1st - 7th February 2016
Our team brings you live updates of the most important events and developments in the Balkans as they happen.
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Supporters of the Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SBBBiH, are gathering signatures in Sarajevo to ask for the liberation of their leader Fahrudin Radoncic, who is currently serving a 30-day detention under suspicion that he illegally influenced witnesses in the Kelmendi trial in Pristina.
SBBBiH supporters this morning in Sarajevo | Photo: BIRN -
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Serbia's ruling Progressive Party would win 49.5 per cent of the vote if elections were held on Sunday, according to a survey by public opinion research agency Faktor Plus.The survey results also showed that Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS, part of the ruling majority, would recieve the second-highest portion - 10.6 per cent - followed by the Democratic Party, DS, with 6.8 per cent and the Serbian Radical Party, SRS, with six per cent.Right-wing coalition of Democratic Party of Serbia and Dveri would attain 5.6 per cent of the vote, and the SDS-LDP-LSV coalition around former president Boris Tadic would finish with 5.2 per cent. -
by AnaPetruseva via twitter 2/3/2016 1:14:21 PM -
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has summoned Bosniak member of the country's Presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, for interrogation, local media reported.According to N1 television channel, he is being probed in relation to the questionable appointment of Nermana Hadzijahic to the position of Bosnia's ambassador in Slovenia, which Fahrudin Radoncic is also being investigated for.
Bakir Izetbegovic | Photo: SDA -
Fahrudin Radoncic will remain in detention until February 25 after Bosnia's State Court rejected the appeal of his defence lawyers, who contested the decision to hold the leader of the Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina in custody for 30 days.
Fahrudin Radoncic | Photo: SBBBiH -
Tirana will be the home of the new regional youth cooperation office that will coordinate joint projects across Western Balkan countries, Albania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today.The location was chosen following meetings between political advisors to the Prime Ministers of Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania at the end of January.The initiative is part of an EU-led process aiming to strengthen the relationships between Western Balkan countries.
Foreign ministers of Western Balkan countries | Photo: Albania MFA -
by LSE EUROPP blog via twitter 2/3/2016 4:45:33 PM -
Albania is to auction off some 40 military aircraft and helicopters that date back to the communist era.
The defence ministry said the aircraft, all of it made by the Soviet Union or China, would go under auction in the capital Tirana on 22 February. The ministry said all the aircraft would be of "historic" value only, and "for a civilian purpose".
Various museums and private collectors had expressed an interest, a ministry spokeswoman told the AFP news agency.
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by Balkan Insight via twitter 2/4/2016 9:23:59 AM -
Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic said his country is "ready to be part of the European solution to the refugee issue, whether it's about closing borders or the quota system."Speaking to the BBC late on Wednesday, he added that "Europe should say what this comprehensive, common solution is."
Serbian PM Vucic -
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The Russian Duma is interfering in the internal affairs of Montenegro, Slovenian ambassador to NATO Jelko Kacin has said.
Kacin reacted to the Russian stance mentioned by officials during a meeting in Moscow with representatives of Montenegro's opposition Democratic Front, that Montenegro should adopt the Swiss model of neutrality. -
Kosovo's foreign minister and former premier Hashim Thaci says he received a death threat purportedly from the leader of the Islamic State organisation over his opposition to the extremist group.
"It was a death threat against me and my family," Thaci told AFP in an interview on Wednesday. -
After three people were killed and eight others wounded when gunmen attacked a bar in the Albanian city of Elbasen yesterday evening, police have been conducting raids in the area for more than 12 hours searching for the assailants.So far 46 people have given testimonies to officers regarding the event, with reports being made that at least three gunmen were involved.
Albania Police during a raid | Photo: State Police -
by Valerie Hopkins via twitter 2/4/2016 10:54:07 AM -
by Kosovo Holidays DMC via twitter 2/4/2016 10:54:30 AM -
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Prime Minister Đukanović hosted SACEUR General Philip M. Breedlove gov.me/en/News/157290… @PMBreedlove @NATOby MeGovernment via twitter 2/4/2016 11:03:15 AM -
Bosnia's Council of Ministers is expected to discuss the proposals to amend the country's Act on Public Radio and Television System today.The reform is needed to provide Bosnian state television, BHRT, which is facing financial hardship, with the critical resources it needs to avoid possible closure.
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Romania's former ruling Social Democratic Party, PSD, signed a cooperation agreement with leftist UNPR party, ahead of mayoral elections scheduled for June.
Both parties oppose a change in electoral law which aims to reinstate a two-round voting system for the election of mayors, instead of the one-round procedure currently in place.
Leftist parties in Romania agree to cooperate ahead of mayoral elections | Photo: monitorul.ro -
The General Hospital Abdulah Nakas will not become part of the University Clinical Center of Sarajevo, Elmedin Konakovic, prime minister of Bosnia's Sarajevo Canton, told N1 television network, accusing the media of having "manipulated the story".Thousands of Sarajevo citizens signed a petition in January to show their opposition to the plan to close the General Hospital.
People signing a petition against the closure of the Hospital Abdulah Nakas in Sarajevo | Photo: BIRN -
The European Parliament today adopted a resolution on Serbia with 498 votes in favour, 66 against and 70 abstentions.The resolution calls for chapters 23 and 24 in Serbia's EU membership negotiations to be opened as early as possible, praises the progress in the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and encourages Serbia to continue its economic reforms.
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Albanian police have announced a reward of around 21,000 euro for information on the gunmen responsible for the massacre in a bar in the city of Elbasan yesterday evening in which three patrons were killed and ten others seriously injured.Police have found the fugitives' weapons, which were dumped near the bar where the attack took place, but are still searching for the assailants.
Police during an action | Photo: State Police -
Bosniak presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic has confirmed that he was interrogated by the Bosnian prosecution yesterday in connection with the nomination of Nermana Hadzijahic as ambassador to Slovenia, for which Fahrudin Radoncic has also been linked.However, Izetbegovic stressed that "this nomination doesn't have any connection with the illicit pressure on witnesses for which Radoncic and Bakir Dautbasic are accused."
Bakir Izetbegovic | Photo: SDA -
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Top stories from the Balkans today:- At the London donor conference, Serbia's Prime Minister has called for unified international solution to the refugee crisis - which is affecting the Balkan region's stability.
- Macedonia needs a unified inter-ethnic opposition front to confront Macedonian strongman Nikola Gruevski in the general election, but it is unlikely to happen, observers caution.
- As the European Parliament approved a resolution on Kosovo’s progress toward EU integration, the Parliament's Vice-President, Ulrike Lunacek, urged all member states to recognise it.
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[PR] Government approves concession contracts for hydrocarbons research on #Montenegro coast gov.me/en/News/157325… #hydrocarbons #energyby MeGovernment via twitter 2/5/2016 9:24:52 AM
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US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with senior government leaders in Tirana on February 14 to discuss Albania’s Euro-Atlantic integration and strong bilateral cooperation with the United States.Prime Minister Edi Rama considers this visit of immense importance at a time when countries share common challenges.
US Secretary of State, John Kerry and Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama | Photo: US government -
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Bosnia's state prosecution has announced indictments against Bosnian media tycoon and politician Fahrudin Radoncic, his associates Bakir Dautbasic and Bilsena Sahman, as well as an employee of the US embassy in Bosnia, Zijad Hadzijahic, who are all accused of various criminal activities, including the obstruction of judiciary.
Fahrudin Radoncic | Photo: SBBBiH -
The Montenegrin company of Canadian businessman Peter Munk - Adriatic Marinas – is in talks to sell the Porto Montenegro marina project to an Arab company for a sum ranging between 500-800 million euro, local media reported, quoting unofficial information.
Photo: portomontenegro.com -
EU money invested in Romania between 2009 and 2015 helped the country’s economy to grow by 10 per cent, according to Romania's Minister for European Funds, Aura Raducu.
She also said the number of jobs also rose - by 3.8 per cent - as a result of the same funds.
EU funds helped Romanian economy to grow | Photo: gov.ro -
Following heated debates, the Bulgarian parliament has approved amendments to the Defence and Armed Forces Act, which will allow NATO allies to participate in joint missions to guard the country’s air space.
The missions will be carried out either solely by the Bulgarian army or jointly with the air forces of allied nations, the changes suggest. -
American experts appointed by the US embassy in Tirana are helping Albania's MPs to prepare the necessary legal framework for the country's law banning people with criminal convictions from holding public office be implemented in March.The law was passed in December with almost unanimous support by MPs.
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Centre-right Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, is the most popular Croatian political party with 30 per cent of the public's support, followed by opposition centre-left Social Democratic Party, with 28.8 per cent, according to polling agency Promocija plus.
Its data also shows that the ruling coalition's junior partner, Bridge of the Independent Lists, MOST, has 9.1 per cent support, which is 2.6 per cent less than in January's survey, and 6.3 per cent less than in December. -
Tuzla citizens organised a gathering today in front of the cantonal govenment building to mark anniversary of the beginning of protests against poverty and corruption which turned into anarchy two days later."Today the situation is much worse than two years ago, a new February 7 is near," warned Sakib Kopic, the President of Sindikat Solidarnosti, a workers' association which had organised the gathering.
Sakib Kopic | Photo: Anadolu -
Montenegro's political leaders agreed today on a way to get the country out of its deep political crisis following the failure of a no-confidence vote in the government last week.
Party leaders, who met to discuss the formation of an interim government and the organisation of new elections, announced that the deal between them will be signed by the end of next week.
Photo: skupstina.me -
Efraim Zuroff, head of Vienna's Simon Wiesenthal Center - named after the famous Nazi hunter - called upon the new Croatian government to remove Zlatko Hasanbegovic from the position of culture minister.
Zuroff said that Hasanbegovic refuses ro recognise "the genocidal nature" of Croatia's WWII fascist regime, "despising [the] brave Croatian anti-fascists that fought against it."
Efraim Zuroff. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Arikb -
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic has dismissed the members of the presidential commission for pardons, after a number of controversial convicted persons were reprieved on Tuesday based on the commission's advice.
Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic. | Photo: Beta -
Deputies from Serbia's ruling parties – SNS and SPS – have walked out of the Parliament's session and will not participate in the debate on the removal of defence minister Bratislav Gasic, due to a tweet sent by opposition Democratic Party member Dragan Sutanovac, which allegedly insulted the Parliament's president, Maja Gojkovic.However, they will return when the voting commences, which comes two months after PM Aleksandar Vucic announced Gasic's sacking over a sexist remark to a female reporter.
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Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic has finally been dismissed after both ruling and opposition parties voted in favour of the decision in today's National Assembly session.
Serbian Parliament | Photo:Beta -
Bosnian first-graders reach out to deaf schoolmate: SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — When Mirzana Coralic a... dailym.ai/1W1xIjRby Latest News via twitter 2/7/2016 10:19:16 AM -
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