The EP has adopted the resolution on Albania, which includes a text, proposed by Bulgarian MEPs Andrey Kovachev and Angel Djambazki , confirming the rights of the Bulgarian population in Mala Prespa, Golo Brdo and Gora. The text is recommended for transposition in the country’s legislation, alongside its practical guaranteeing. According to unofficial data, there are some 100,000 Bulgarians in Albania who have been waiting for decades to be recognized as an ethnic group.

The Greeks need ‘to see some light in the end of the tunnel of economies, said EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici during a visit to Athens where he discussed the clumsy negotiations of the state with its international creditors. The EU commissioner stated that he believed in the perspectives of Greece, pointing out that the economy of the country has achieved recently some growth, although humble at this point.

The EC set a deadline of two months to Romania before handing it over to the Court of the EU due to non-compliance with the European legislation in regard to Bulgarian fishing ships in the Black Sea. The Commission points out that any EU vessel has the right to sail and fish anywhere within the Community, adding that numerous accidents in the Romanian territorial waters have been detected.

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks called on the Turkish leaders "to change the course in an urgent manner" and cease violations of media freedom and superiority of the law, thus expressing his concern about democracy in Turkey. The appeal comes right before the April-scheduled referendum for a constitutional reform, envisaging transition to a presidential system of governing which is feared to result in too much power concentrated in the hands of President Erdogan.

Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus, Mr. Espen Barth Eide stated some progress on the compromise formula on the security guaranteeing after the ethnically divided island is united again. However, there is still a long path to the structure, responding to the requirements of the Cyprus Greeks’ security and to the island’s guarantors – Greece, Turkey and Great Britain.

Serbia does anything possible for the migrants on their way to West Europe, but cannot be their parking spot, said Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic at a joint press-conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz. Vucic added that unlike some other countries in the region Serbia received all the refugees, didn’t abuse anyone and almost all of them were currently accommodated.

Data of the WHO in Europe says that with the exception of Turkey, Macedonia’s Tetovo is the most polluted city, followed by Bosnian Tuzla and the Macedonian capital Skopje. Three Macedonian cities, four Polish ones and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Bulgaria are also among the ten most polluted settlements in Europe.

A doctor from the Romanian city of Sinaia was arrested for 19 cases of bribery within a single day only to the overall tune of EUR 1,900. Those had been given mostly by people retired due to illness and the doctor determined the size of the bribe wanted according to their pensions. The authorities were alarmed by one of the patients.

Compiled by: Atanas Tsenov

English version: Zhivko Stanchev