European Court of Auditors assesses management of funds for Syrian refugees in Turkey

The European Court of Auditors announced that it wouldassess the management of EU funds provided to Turkey for Syrian refugees. The results will be known at the end of the year. The European Commission has recently expressed readiness to raise another 3 billion euros for thefund and Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan had welcomed the support at the recent high-level meeting in Varna.

US calls on Serbia and Kosovo to normalize relations

The United States strongly condemned the latest frictions between Kosovo and Serbia, pointing out that they could unnecessarily intensify tensions and threaten regional stability.

Head of Belgrade’s office for Kosovo, Marko Đurić, was briefly detained in the divided city of Mitrovica on Monday because he entered Kosovo without agreement from official authorities. He was then taken out of Kosovo with police escort. In a statement, the US State Department urged the countries to avoid further escalation and to normalize their relations through EU-led dialogue. Washington has expressed readiness to support the dialogue. Meanwhile, Austria's foreign affairs minister, Karin Kneissl, who started a visit to Kosovo and the Western Balkans on Monday, expressed concern that the Kosovo authorities had reacted too harshly.

Romanian Parliament wants reunification with Moldova; government calls for EU integration of Chișinău

A group of Moldovan politicians, including Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, AndrianCandu and Deputy Prime Minister IurieLeancă were present at a solemn meeting of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the unification of Romania and Bessarabia from March 27, 1918.

During the anniversary unionist statements were voiced by ruling coalition leaders LiviuDragneaand CălinPopescuTăriceanu, but there were calls for caution by Prime Minister VioricaDancilaand President Klaus Iohannis, who sent a message without attending the meeting. "Parliament wants to unite with Moldova, government wants just EU integration of Chisinau," the Bucharest press wrote.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu: Result of Varna meeting was just a photo

Leader of main opposition Republican People's Party in Turkey, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, described the result of the EU-Turkey leaders’ meeting held in Bulgaria’s Varna as "just a photo and nothing more." Speaking to journalists, Kılıçdaroğlu said the meeting had not reached an agreement on the renewal of the EU-Turkey Customs Union, nor about visa liberalization that Turkish citizens expect. According to him, the only thing Europeans wanted wasreducedmigration pressure.

Nikola Dimitrov: Gornamakedonija is not a solution to the name dispute

A name, such as Gornamakedonija written as one word (meaning Upper Macedonia), as proposed by Greece, is not a solution to the Macedonian name dispute between the authorities in Skopje and Athens. This is what Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov told local TV channel Telma. A good decision is one that will not make us ashamed afterwards, he added. Speaking about the upcoming meeting in Vienna with international mediator Matthew Nimetz, Dimitrov said he expected a step forward to be made.

Hashim Thaci orders forming of community of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo

Kosovo President Hashim Thacihas ordered start of work on forming a Community of Serbian municipalities uniting municipalities with Serbian majority in the newly established Balkan state, Koha Ditore newspaper reported. The media wrote that Thaci's order was the result of directions from Brussels, as the Kosovo Constitutional Court had earlier defined the formation of such a community as "contradictory to the constitution."

Economist says Turkey taking place of Russia as EU strategic partner

Turkey has been gradually taking Russia’s place as a strategic partner of the European Union and from fifth place climbs as EU's fourth strategic partner as Russia's sanctions remain in placecausing a decline in trade with European countries. This is what economist Roumen Galabinov said in an interview with BNR. He added that "if China is the factory of the world, Turkey is the factory of Europe, because it produces everything that is consumed by European citizens - food, clothes, shoes, household goods, cars, etc."

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English: Alexander Markov