Serbia

Council of Europe committee gives the nod for Kosovo's admission, angering Serbia

Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje March 27, 2024

President Aleksandar Vucic has warned Serbia may quit the Council of Europe if Kosovo gains membership.

Over 22,000 Serbs sign petition to save bombed Belgrade landmark from Kushner development plans

bne IntelliNews March 26, 2024

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US president Donald Trump, plans to develop the site of the General Staff building, bombed by Nato in 1999.

Serbia threatens to quit Council of Europe if Kosovo is allowed to join

Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje March 24, 2024

Belgrade does not recognise Kosovo's independence and has lobbied intensively to keep the new country out out international organisations.

Serbian foreign minister's Moscow trip likely to spark fresh calls to freeze EU accession process

bne IntelliNews March 21, 2024

Ivica Dacic arrives in Moscow days after Russian President Vladimir Putin was re-elected in rigged election.

Slim hopes of EU enlargement progress ahead of European Parliament elections

bne IntelliNews March 20, 2024

EU members are pushing for the start of accession talks with Bosnia at this week’s EU Council, but wider progress unlikely before June elections.

Putin’s biggest fans in Southeast Europe hail election victory

bne IntelliNews March 18, 2024

Only the few remaining allies of the Russian president such as Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and Moldovan ex-president Igor Dodon welcomed Putin's victory.

Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners nearing billion-dollar Balkan real estate deals

bne IntelliNews March 17, 2024

Reports have given rise to speculation that Kushner’s plans could have been facilitated by relationships established during his father-in-law Donald Trump's time in the White House.

Illiberal axis between Budapest and Balkans threatens regional stability, analyst warns

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow March 15, 2024

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s close ties with leaders of Serbia and Bosnia’s Republika Srpska have encouraged nationalism and authoritarian tendencies with negative consequences for stability, says paper published by EPC.

Kosovo yields over Decani monastery to pursue Council of Europe membership

Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje March 14, 2024

Closely guarded Serbian Orthodox monastery deep inside Kosovo has long been a source of tension between Pristina and Belgrade.

Western Balkans faces heightened risk of inter-ethnic violence in 2024, US intelligence report warns

bne IntelliNews March 13, 2024

Report says local nationalist leaders and external actors could heighten tensions for their own political gains in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Closing gender gap in workforce could double global growth rate says World Bank

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow March 8, 2024

Countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia have a lower gender gap than the global average but only Latvian women have equal legal standing with men.

National Bank of Serbia maintains policy rate at 6.5%

bne IntelliNews March 7, 2024

The decision to maintain the reference interest rate was primarily influenced by the global economic landscape, characterised by declining but still elevated inflationary pressures.

BALKAN BLOG: Serbian president tries to move on from election controversy

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow March 5, 2024

President Aleksandar Vucic wrapped plans to re-run contested Belgrade election and quickly carry out OSCE recommendations in anti-Western rhetoric.

German foreign minister calls for faster EU enlargement to Western Balkans amid Russia threat

bne IntelliNews March 4, 2024

Annalena Baerbock says expansion of the EU to the Western Balkans has become a geopolitical necessity in light of Russia's "brutal imperialism".

Serbian president claims West wants ‘puppet regime’ in Belgrade

bne IntelliNews March 3, 2024

President Aleksandar Vucic tackles opposition grievances over December 2023 elections, but slams Western interference in Serbian politics.

Western Balkan leaders commit to accelerated regional cooperation

bne IntelliNews March 1, 2024

Albanian PM calls at Tirana summit for fellow Western Balkan leaders to overcome historic conflicts to achieve prosperity.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy seeks support from Southeast Europe at Tirana summit

bne IntelliNews February 28, 2024

Ukrainian president and Albanian prime minister warn of Russian threat to destabilise the region.

Liberty Steel's financial crisis is just the latest blow for CEE's steel industry

Robert Anderson in Prague February 28, 2024

The woes of Liberty Steel's mills also reflect the struggle of former Communist Central and Eastern Europe’s once mighty steel sector to remain competitive.

Western Balkans power sector risks “complete meltdown” warns think-tank

bne IntelliNews February 27, 2024

Policy brief from think-tank CEPS says there is an “acute and imminent risk” of collapse due to outdated infrastructure.

Western Balkans to take up to 70 years to catch up with EU

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow February 26, 2024

New EBRD report finds low productivity, weak institutions and unfavourable demographics mean convergence may not happen until 2093.

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