Ghana’s deputy foreign minister, Charled Owiredu, told AFP on Tuesday that his country has decided to withdraw the recognition of Kosovo as an independent state. The reasons were communicated to Serbia in a letter, he said. “The decision to recognise Kosovo turned out to be premature”, the letter said of its recognition in 2012. The …
Ghana confirms the withdrawal of the recognition of Kosovo Read More »
The initiative promoted in Ohrid and Novi Sad in relation to the so-called ‘mini-Schengen’ is a developing story that should be considered, said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperating Council (RCC). “Regional cooperation becomes meaningful once the final end is EU integration. As enlargement is about connecting markets and people, we believe every …
Bregu: ‘Mini-Schengen’ is a developing story that should be considered Read More »
We’re using the time until the discussion for opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania is back on the agenda, to cooperate with Western Balkan leaders in order to achieve the best possible outcome at the next meeting, said Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas at a press briefing. “When we meet with Western Balkan …
Kosovo’s leaders have rejected the conclusions of the Ohrid Summit that was held on Sunday, where the idea of a mini-Schengen for the Western Balkans was discussed. Kosovo’s president, Hashim Thaci, said this regional initiative is meaningless as long as Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognize Kosovo’s independence. He stated that Kosovo’s only …
The Western Balkans ‘mini-Schengen’ initiative should be seen through the prism of the French veto of the enlargement of the EU summit, analysts warn. The announcements of economic convergence and facilitation of movement and procedures in the region are not disputed, but the political implications of the project raise concerns. “Regional linkages have never been …
The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, had a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of France, Emmanuel Macron, with whom he discussed about the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as about the Euro-Atlantic perspective of Kosovo and the Western Balkans region. President Thaçi stated that Kosovo is willing …
Thaçi-Macron meeting: Kosovo is ready for a Peace Agreement Read More »
We agreed in Ohrid on measures to improve movement of people, goods and services through the region and ensure a better life for all in a modern and peaceful Balkans, PM Zoran Zaev posted on Facebook Monday morning, following Sunday’s leaders’ meeting on the regional cooperation initiative, known as ‘mini-Schengen’. “Crossing borders using only personal …
President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci has stated that his country doesn’t want to substitute its Euro-Atlantic perspective with any other regional initiative, Tanjug news agency reports Sunday. In a Facebook post explaining why he refused to attend the Ohrid trilateral meeting, Thaci says that Serbia ‘snubbed Kosovo intentionally’ at the first summit of the new …
Thaci explains why he refused to attend the Ohrid trilateral meeting Read More »
Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias will be in Geneva on Friday, November 8, in order to participate in the meeting organized by the World Economic Forum on the Strategic Dialogue for the Western Balkans. The current political and economic challenges and opportunities in the Western Balkans will be addressed during the Summit. Participants …
Dendias to meet with Zaev, Dimitrov and Cavusoglu while in Geneva Read More »
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov are attending Strategic Dialogue on the Western Balkans Leaders Meeting, hosted by the World Economic Forum in Geneva. Friday’s working session brings together leaders of Western Balkan countries and the wider region, officials of the European Commission, organizations in Europe, …
Outgoing EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, addressed the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday. Debate was mainly focused on the Western Balkans. The enlargement commissioner once again voiced regret that EU member states failed to reach consensus in October to open accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania …
French Ambassador to Serbia Jean-Louis Falconi said his country had “no reserves” regarding the EU accession of Western Balkan countries, adding that certain criteria must be fulfilled. “On the issue of opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, I must say these countries have made exceptional efforts, especially with the signing of the Prespa …
Falconi: Palmer’s statement of ‘EU’s historic mistake’ is wrong Read More »
Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Zoran Zaev will have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of “Thessaloniki Summit 209”, which will be held in Thessaloniki next Thursday and Friday, November 14 and 15. The meeting was officially announced by the Greek Prime Minister’s office. Mitsotakis will also use his participation …
New Zaev-Mitsotakis meeting, this time in Thessaloniki Read More »
A debate on “Kosovo, the new government, the European Union, dialogue with Serbia and the future of the state” was held at Johns Hopkins University. At the roundtable, renowned analyst said the chances of reaching an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia before the end of President Trump’s mandate in 2021 are slim. “Any agreement that …
Serwer: The Kosovo-Serbia agreement will be reached after President Trump’s mandate Read More »
The European Parliament supports the enlargement policy and Montenegro should continue on the right path of implementing reforms, in order to become the next member of the EU, Chief Negotiator Aleksandar Drljević and European Parliament Rapporteur for Montenegro Tonino Picula noted. During his visit to Brussels, the Chief Negotiator met with the new EP Rapporteur for Montenegro, …
State Department Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer said that the United States wants the Western Balkans to have a European perspective, and he said he would try to persuade the European Union. He made the comments at a press conference in Belgrade after meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Palmer said they …
US Special Representative for the Western Balkan region, Matthew Palmer, said in Pristina that Kosovo’s achievements are exceptional and he believes the new Government that will be formed after 6 October elections in Kosovo is ready to face the challenges ahead. Palmer said the progress in the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue opens new opportunities. “Progress in talks …
Palmer: Unique opportunity for a Pristina-Belgrade Agreement Read More »
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was on an official visit to Rome on Thursday, where he met with his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte. At the meeting of the two men, which took place in a very good climate, bilateral issues were discussed, both for the deepening of economic cooperation between the two countries and for …
Bilateral relations, EU accession path at the focus of the Conte-Rama meeting Read More »
We are against those who want to decouple the two countries, those that never gained momentum or numerical majority in the European Council, said Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. Varvitsiotis briefed members of the Parliament’s European Affairs Committee on issues related to the Union and conclusions of the recent Council summit. Regarding …
Varvitsiotis: We are against decoupling North Macedonia and Albania Read More »
SYRIZA strongly criticizes the government’s foreign policy, accusing it of having reduced the country into a mere observer that has turned Greece into an “extra” of critical international developments. Opposition sources stress that in the wake of Zaev’s visit to Rome aimed at unblocking the accession process for North Macedonia, such an initiative should have …
SYRIZA: The government is turning Greece into an “extra” Read More »
