Turkey’s Supreme Election Board announces final results of presidential and parliamentary elections

Turkey’s Supreme Election Board announced the final results of the early presidential and parliamentary elections held on June 24 this year. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wins 52.59% of the votes and his main opponent from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Muhharem Ince received 30.64% of the votes. The Justice and Development Party (AK party) headed by Recep Erdoğan won 42.56% of the votes and the Republican People’s Party earned 22.65% of the votes. AK party will have 295 seats in the new 600-deputy parliament and CHP will have 146 seats.

Commissioner Pierre Moscovici: No more bailout programmes for Greece

The European Parliament discussed the results of the third and last bailout programme for Greece. Those who are talking about a fourth bailout programme are not telling the truth, the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici said underlining that Greece can now stand on its own feet without financial help. Europe avoided the Grexit scenario which could have been disastrous not only for this country, but for the whole Eurozone, Commissioner Moscovici went on to say. No other country in the history of the European Union did so many reforms in such a short time, Pierre Moscovici added.

EU is biggest trade partner of Western Balkans.

In 2017 the European Union was the biggest trade partner of the Western Balkans. The Western Balkans had nearly 73% of their total trade with the EU. The total volume of the trade between the European Union and the Western Balkan countries amounted to nearly EUR 50 billion last year, Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov said at the Economy Ministers Meeting in Vienna within the frameworks of the Berlin Process initiative which has the purpose to emphasize on the commitment of the EU towards the Western Balkans. The stable political and economic situation boosts investments in the Balkans and improves business conditions, Minister Karanikolov underlined.

EBRD approves EUR 500 million loan for construction of Trans-Adriatic Pipeline

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a EUR 500 million loan for the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline. The 878 kilometer pipeline will start at the Greek-Turkish border. A 550 kilometer section of the gas pipeline will cross Northern Greece and a 215 kilometer section will cross Albania.  The section under the Adriatic Sea will be 105 kilometers long and only 8 kilometer-long section will cross Italy. The construction of TAP is expected to end in 2020 when Europe will receive the first supplies of Azeri gas.

EU grants EUR 41.2 million to Serbia under Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance

The Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović and the EU Head of Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrici signed an agreement for EUR 41.2 million under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in the presence of Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and the Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The EU has earmarked this money to Serbia to support the rule of law and help make the judiciary more efficient. The European Union has already provided a total of EUR 138 million to Serbia this year. The most important thing is how the money is used so that it will be visible and show the public that the EU is Serbia’s most important donor, President Vucic said.

Macedonia’s Food and Veterinary Agency bans imports of domestic animals, meat and dairy products from Bulgaria in a bid to avoid spread of goat plague

Macedonia’s Food and Veterinary Agency banned the imports and the transit of domestic animals, meat and meat products and milk and dairy products from Bulgaria, in a bid to prevent the spread of ovine rinderpest (PPR, goat plague) which affected goats and sheep in this country. The goat plague is a contagious disease primarily affecting goats and sheep, but poses no threat to human health.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Kostadin Atanasov