Number of people visiting Iron Church in Istanbul on the rise

The flow of people visiting the restored unique Bulgarian Iron Church (St Stephen) in Istanbul has not ceased. The church was officially opened on January 7 by Bulgaria’s Premier Boyko Borissov and Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan. According to unofficial data, over 2,000 people of different nationalities, religion, with different professions and at different age have visited the Iron Church since then. The church opens at 9 am.

Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis approves nomination of Viorica Dăncilă as new Prime Minister

Viorica Dăncilă nominated by the Social Democratic Party will be Romania’s new Prime Minister, the President of this country Klaus Iohannis announced. President Iohannis also said that Romania may have a new cabinet by February 1. This country held Parliamentary elections one year ago. Two cabinets have already failed during that period, President Iohannis pointed out. In his words, the Social Democrats will have to prove that they will fulfill their election promises. The Social Democratic Party nominated MEP Viorica Dăncilă to become Romania’s new Premier after Mihai Tudose handed his resignation on Monday when the National Executive Committee of the main ruling Social Democratic Party withdrew the political support for him.

Greece’s Premier Alexis Tsipras considers cabinet reshuffles?

Greece’s Premier Alexis Tsipras is considering reshuffles in his cabinet. The Deputy Minister of Education submitted his resignation at his own will before the voting of the draft bill related to the new austerity measures. Tsipras accepted the resignation of Kostas Zouraris, but left his position vacant, which means that the appointment of a new Deputy Minister of Education can be expected within the frameworks of the planned reshuffles in the Greek cabinet. People close to Tsipras claim that Greece’s Premier intended to make structural, rather than broad changes, and that he would leave the possibility to resort to early elections open. It is not clear yet when exactly Tsipras will announce his intentions, but according to forecasts it will happen at the end of January or the beginning of February at the latest after the planned meeting of the Eurogroup in Athens on January 22 when Greece is expected to receive green light for new financial assistance under the bailout programme.

Construction of gas receiving terminal of Turkish Stream project begins

The construction of the gas receiving terminal of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project began at Turkey’s Black Sea coast. The Turkish company Tekfen and the British Petrofac signed the contract for construction of this terminal in September 2017. The Turkey-Russia intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the Turkish Stream project was signed on October 10, 2016 in Istanbul. Four pipeline branches will cross the Black Sea bottom within the agreement. The first two pipeline branches will be built by the British company. Each of the two branches will have the capacity to transfer 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. One of them will supply gas to Turkey and the other one will transfer gas to Europe. The total length of the sea section of the gas pipeline is nearly 930 kilometers.

Kosovo’s Premier Haradinaj suggests that assassination of Oliver Ivanovic results from “illegal involvement of institutions beyond Kosovo”

Kosovo’s Premier Ramush Haradinaj suggested that that the assassination of the leading local politician Oliver Ivanovic resulted from “illegal involvement in the north of other institutions beyond Kosovo”. Premier Haradihaj spoke at a press conference after the sitting of Kosovo’s Security Council summoned after the shooting of Oliver Ivanovic. Ivanovic was shot on Tuesday in the town of Mitrovica in front of the office of the Citizens’ Initiative party. However, Haradinaj did not provide details about the external powers suspected of perpetrating the murder of Oliver Ivanovic. The leader of the Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj, however, suggested said that “western security services were behind the murder of Ivanovic”. Meanwhile, hundreds of citizens from Kosovska Mitrovica escorted the coffin with the body of the Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic.

Greek farmers to launch road blockades between January 22 and 28

Greek farmers are planning to make road blockades between January 22 and 28, their strike committee decided at a sitting in the town of Larissa. The farmers will also launch a big protest on February 3 in Thesalloniki during the agricultural exhibition Agrotica. There are many problems in the agriculture sector which affected the incomes of the employed over the years, the Greek farmers contend.

Written by: Manuel Savov

English version: Kostadin Atanasov