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, …
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 »
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 »
Former Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is undertaking an international initiative on the situation in the Western Balkans, following a decision by the last European Council meeting to postpone setting a date for the start of EU accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. The former Foreign Minister had meetings with the Slovak Foreign Minister …
Nikos Kotzias undertakes international initiative for the Balkans Read More »
EU leaders will review the prospect of EU’s enlargement before the European Union-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb in May 2020, in line with the conclusions adopted during the EU Summit in Brussels. Once again, the European Union and its leaders failed to rise to the occasion. With the Summit’s decision to postpone one more time …
Greece’s Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis warned against the opening of EU negotiations with only one candidate country. “Due to the presence of an Albanian element in the region, decoupling and opening of accession talks with only one candidate country could pave the way for destabilization on our northern border,” Varvitsiotis said Wednesday …
The Committee on European Affairs of the Dutch Parliament agreed Tuesday that Albania and North Macedonia’s European prospects should be discussed separately at the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg October 15, before the European Council makes a final decision October 18. Foreign Minister Stef Blok reiterated the government’s attitude that starting negotiations …
Dutch Parliament in favor of separating North Macedonia and Albania, but won’t veto Read More »
A trilateral meeting between Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama, is to be held on Thursday, October 10, in Novi Sad, Serbian President’s Office said in a press release. The meeting will be held at the Petrovaradin Fortress. Vucic announced earlier that he would …
Zaev, Vucic and Rama to hold trilateral meeting in Novi Sad Read More »
The second round of the Strategic Dialogue between Greece and USA begins on Monday, October 7, 2019. The Strategic Dialogue was launched in December 2018 in Washington, DC. The second round follows the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Greece and the upgrading of the Defense Agreement with the US via the signing …
Second round of Greek-US Strategic Dialogue discussions to commence on Monday Read More »
Early parliamentary elections were held peacefully and democratically in Kosovo on Sunday. According to preliminary data, the Vetevendosje Movement won in this election, with a slight margin from the Democratic League of Kosovo. With 90 per cent of the vote counted by the State Election Commissions, the Vetevendosje Movement received about 26 per cent of …
The Vetevendosje Movement wins the election in Kosovo Read More »
“North Macedonia and Albania have delivered – now it’s high time that member states deliver, too! Thank you to EU leaders for making this strong stance for opening accession negotiations with both countries in October,” tweeted EU-Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn on Sunday. #NorthMacedonia and #Albania have delivered – now it’s …
US Secretary Mike Pompeo has traveled to Athens from October 4-6, 2019, where he was set to meet Prime Minister Mitsotakis and members of his cabinet, including Foreign Minister Dendias and Defense Minister Panagiotopoulos, ahead of the 2019 U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue on October 7. The United States and Greece proudly cooperate on defense and security …
US Secretary Pompeo travels to Greece to deepen their historic alliance Read More »
Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that the first official visit of a US Secretary of State to Montenegro testifies to the fact that the two countries foster friendship and alliance, Montenegro Government Press service announced. “Following the visit of US Vice President Mike Pence, this is further …
Pompeo becomes first US Secretary of State to visit Montenegro Read More »
President Milo Djukanovic is paying October 2-3 an official visit to North Macedonia. After a welcome ceremony at the Skopje International Airport, Djukanovic will be received with military honors by President Stevo Pendarovski outside his residence. It will be followed by a tête-à-tête meeting, the government said on Tuesday. Pendarovski and Djukanovic will hold a …
Montenegro’s President Djukanovic arrives for a two-day visit Read More »
We will do everything to mitigate the consequences of the Prespa Agreement, protect trademarks and, if necessary, play the veto card regarding the EU integration of neighbors, says Greek Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Kostas Karamanlis. “As much as SYRIZA is trying to convince us to the opposite, our position is firm. We would have …
Western Balkans Summit titled “Reinforcing the momentum for European integration” organized by the weekly magazine newspaper “The Economist” is set to be held in Skopje on October 1st. The event will bring together about 450 participants, including foreign businessmen, politicians and managers who are playing an important role in terms of the regional ambition for …
On the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran ZAEV spoke exclusively to IBNA about his first meeting with the new Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Prime Minister, how was your first meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriacos Mitsotakis? For me it is …
IBNA exclusive interview with Zaev: Greece will support us in the European Council. Read More »
Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of a nationalist party, Krassimir Karakachanov, has thrown cold water on support for the Republic of North Macedonia’s hopes of EU accession. Statements by Karakachanov, leader of the nationalist VMRO party, came in response to reported comments by the President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, about historical figure Gotse …
Bulgaria’s Deputy PM throws spanner in works about North Macedonia’s EU hopes Read More »
It seems that Athens wants to make the cases of North Macedonia and Albania a package with respect to accession policies, Greece’s former foreign minister and now Syriza MP Georgios Katrougalos said in an interview with ANA-MPA’s radio station Praktoreio FM. “But in Albania we also have other issues, we need the protection of our …
