Serbia
IMF says war in Ukraine, inflation and energy crisis pose challenges to Serbia’s economy
Serbia demonstrated resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic but the IMF has now cut its GDP growth forecast to 3.5% for 2022.
bneGREEN: Reducing investment in fossil fuels can fund Europe’s energy transition
Europe’s electricity system could become greener, more secure and more resilient while not requiring any funding if the right investments are made to replace increasingly expensive fossil fuels.
Albania and North Macedonia remain stuck in EU accession process
Longtime candidate countries North Macedonia and Albania are still unable to begin accession talks because of a Bulgarian veto, while Montenegro and Serbia are no closer to joining, and Bosnia-Herzegovina has not yet been granted candidate status.
Leaders of Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia to attend EU summit after dropping boycott plans
Aleksandar Vucic, Edi Rama and Dimitar Kovacevski will travel to Brussels for EU Council to show their commitment to joining the EU despite frustration with stalled accession process.
Investments into Serbian startups soared more than 600% in 2021
Serbian startups attracted over $135mn of investments in 2021 – more than six times as much as in the previous year.
Serbia to produce enough wheat to feed the Western Balkans
Amid high demand and fears of shortages, agriculture minister says Serbia will produce 3mn tonnes of wheat this summer.
COMMENT: Towards sustainable, safe and smart roads in the Western Balkans
The lack of adequate road infrastructure, as well as road maintenance, has been a persistent impediment to growth in the Western Balkans, but infrastructure bottlenecks are now being addressed.
High-ranking politicians from Serbia and Bosnia attend ‘Russia’s Davos’ shunned by West
While most European leaders stayed away from the SPIEF 2022 forum after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bosnian President Milorad Dodik was there and made a rousing defence of Putin.
Macron wants ‘accelerated co-operation’ for Moldova as details of EU ‘political community’ proposal leak
On Ukraine's border and with part of its territory controlled by Russia-backed separatists, Moldova is hoping for a positive answer to its application for EU candidate status.
Wargaming opens studios in Belgrade and Warsaw after pulling out of Russia and Belarus
Wargaming closed its studios in Russia and Belarus following the military invasion of Ukraine, and is now adding new studios in Central and Southeast Europe.
MEPs urge EU member states to recognise Kosovo
Five EU countries do not recognise Kosovo as an independent state, stymieing its hopes of joining the bloc.
Serbia to deploy drones to follow high-speed trains after stonings
Minister threatens vandals with eight-year prison sentence and plans to send drones to track high-speed trains on the Belgrade-Novi Sad line.
BALKAN BLOG: How to keep the EU accession dream alive
With accession bogged down in political disputes, alternatives to the current EU enlargement process are being considered.
Vucic resists pressure from Scholz to join Russia sanctions at tense press conference
Serbian president restates Belgrade's position that it will not join western sanctions on Russia despite appeals from German chancellor to fall into line with EU policy.
Mystery aircraft crosses four Southeast European states
Unidentified aircraft ignored radio contact on route across Hungary, Romania and Serbia before landing in Bulgaria, where an investigation is underway.
Bosnia and Montenegro attend Open Balkan summit but Kosovo shuns event
North Macedonia's PM Dimitar Kovacevski says doors to Open Balkan, founded to improve regional economic co-operation, "remain open" to all Western Balkan states.
Serbia prepares €35bn investment plan focused on RES
Serbia's target is to become fully decarbonised by 2050 despite its current heavy reliance on coal power.
BALKAN BLOG: Lavrov’s Belgrade visit cancelled but the damage is already done
EU officials are losing patience with Serbia’s insistence on maintaining friendly relations with Russia.
Serbian president says new gas deal agreed with Russia
President Aleksandar Vucic says he agreed gas supplies on terms “very favourable for Serbia” in call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Paysend invests in Serbia with new European tech centre
UK-based Paysend says it wants to help put Belgrade on the map as the next fintech capital of Europe.
