International creditors urge Greece to privatize attractive state companies
The three inspectors from the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund have asked Greece to privatize alluring state-run companies such as the electric company DEI and the sports betting company OPAP. In unofficial data that country’s revenues from privatization in 2011 came to EUR 1.55 B with planned EUR 5 B. In latest estimates privatization this year could bring about EUR 4.7 B. The troika of inspectors however said the figure should be at least EUR 10 B.
Serbia likely to become EU accession candidate country in February
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that Serbia stood good chances of getting a status of EU accession candidate country in February. He however warned that the time was running out for the performance of conditions put to Belgrade for an agreement with Pristina on Kosovo’s participation in regional forums; for implementation of agreements on the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue; and for rendering assistance to the EU mission in Kosovo.
Kosovo independence monitoring likely to close in 2012
The process of monitoring the independence of Kosovo is likely to close by end-2012, the 25-country Kosovo Monitoring Group said in Vienna. Dutch diplomat Peter Feith, EU special representative in Kosovo, said that the end of monitoring would make Kosovo a normal European state, boost dialogue with EU and turn Kosovo into a stable and reliable partner in the region. According to Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci an end to monitoring would mean that Kosovo functions as any other European country.
Romanian Cernavodă NPP safe enough
The Romanian Cernavodă NPP bears no risk of a nuclear incident of the scale of the disaster that occurred in Fukushima, Japan, a report on the nuclear safety of the plant reads. The report was prepared in compliance with the decision of the European Nuclear Safety Council to revise nuclear safety of plants across Europe through transparent and comprehensive safety assessments (stress tests). Cernavodă NPP CEO Ionel Bucur said that both units of the plant had big enough safety parameters in the event of major earthquakes, floods etc. Overall, he said, there was no threat of a disaster of the Fukushima type at Cernavodă, because the plant has two totally independent switch-off systems.
Macedonia was urged to not to build its national identity at the expense of neighbor countries
The Foreign Affairs Committee at the European Parliament passed a draft resolution about the progress made by Macedonia on the road to EU. The report encourages Macedonia to continue the process of declassifying the files of the Yugoslav communist secret services, expresses disenchantment with the lack of progress in celebrating common historical events and figures with Macedonia’s neighbors, and advises that country to assess its history in an objective way and in cooperation with its neighbors. Macedonia should not build its cultural and national identity at the expense of its neighbors, the report says. The resolution will be voted in March.
Bosnian authorities arrest Wahhabi leader
In a major police operation of the Bosnian Investigation and Protection Agency, the leader of the largest group of the radical Islamic movement of Wahhabi in Bosnia, Nusret Imamovic, and his brother Eldin, were arrested in the Bosnian village of Bornya Maotcha. 150 policemen joined the operation held as part of an investigation into the attack on the US Consular Office in Sarajevo last year.
Albania clears off debt to former Soviet Bloc countries
Albania will pay back an old debt to Slovenia to the tune of USD 3.5 M, dated to the times of the communist regime. The decision to pay the debt back, was made by a competent commission in Albania’s parliament. Albania’s sum total of accumulated debt to the countries from the former Soviet Bloc is to the tune of EUR 230 M, and the procedure of repayment has already started with most of them.
Translated by Daniela Konstantinova
