Western Balkans won’t be closer to EU accession at the end of Bulgarian Presidency, Krasimir Uzunov says

“The relations between Kosovo and Serbia will continue to follow that tiny thread where everyone demonstrates muscles,” head and owner of the Focus news agency Krasimir Uzunov foresees in an interview for the BNR. “The situation has been constantly getting more and more complicated, as the relations between the Great Powers leave their mark on the ones between the separate Balkan states. The Western Balkans will continue to move somewhere around the boiling point and no one can tell when this will end up,” Uzunov points out. In his words it is not certain that the forthcoming Sofia summit on May 17 for the Western Balkans will achieve any results with this “Europe tired of expansion’ as background. In the end of the Bulgarian EU Presidency the Western Balkans won’t be closer to EU accession,” Uzunov foresees. In the meantime Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commented that he didn’t expect too good news for Serbia from that meeting.

Erdogan, Putin give start to construction of first Turkish NPP

Presidents of Turkey and Russia Recep Erdogan and Vladimir Putin gave the start of the first Turkish nuclear power plant – Akkuyu. The facility is expected to be ready for exploitation by 2023, when the Republic of Turkey will celebrate its centennial. The NPP which will be built up by the Rosatom Russian Company will have 4 units, each of 1,200 megawatts. Its price will be USD 20 bln. and will provide no less than 10% of that country’s energy needs.

EU delegation will discuss in Turkey visa liberalization

In April a delegation of the EU will visit Ankara, in order to discuss the liberalization of the visa regime for Turkish citizens, the Anadolu Agency reports. Ankara has presented in February to the EC the documents necessary for non-visa travels of Turkish citizens within the Schengen Area. The liberalization of the visa regime was one of the conditions that the EU agreed with upon signing the treaty on refugees in March 2016.

EC provides to Greece additional EUR 180 mln. for refugees

The EC grants additional EUR 180 mln. in support of refugee-related projects – for rents and personal needs. The EU has so far helped 41,000 refugees in Greece to hire accommodations across the state. Athens has received a total of EUR 1.5 bln. for the refugees from the community budget. According to the EC, cash money transfers to migrants support their worthy existence and local economy.

Kosovo premier upholds oppositional demand for early parliamentary elections

Kosovo PM Ramush Haradinaj has stated his support for the demand of the most influential oppositional force – the Democratic League of Kosovo for early elections. He said that his party – Alliance for the Future of Kosovo would cast its ballot at new polls if the other parties from the governing coalition and the opposition agreed on that demand. The Democratic League of Kosovo called on for early elections due to the ‘deep political crisis’ after the arrest of Serbian politician Marko Đurić in Kosovo Mitrovica and the expulsion of 6 Turkish citizens from the Gülen movement to Turkey.

Slovenia looking for 5,000 employees in tourism

Once again Slovenia expects tourist growth this year, but also feels the lack of manpower in this sphere, which is important for the economy. The country is in an urgent need of 5,000 employees – chefs, waiters, laborers etc. It intends to look for those in countries situated nearby. Slovenian tourism has marked growth for 4 years in a row now. Last year the Balkan state was visited by 4.7 mln. tourists. Local employees have been swamped, but also unhappy with the low wages in the sector.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Zhivko Stanchev