Serbia and Macedonia to launch joint border project

The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and the Prime Minister of Macedonia Zoran Zaev announced, at the Tabanovce-Presevo border checkpoint, that the two countries were to launch a joint border project. Named “one stop shop”, the project aims to cut down on customs and veterinary control time, and to simplify the transiting of commodities and people.

PM Zaev pointed out that it was “all part of the general economic plan for the Western Balkans, set down by the EU,” and President Vucic – that the joint border checkpoint was critically important to the two countries, to economic activity and tourist exchange. To set the project in motion, bilateral agreements will be signed between the customs, the foreign ministries and the sanitary and veterinary control services of the two countries. 

Kosovo president says time has come for historic agreement with Serbia

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci told the ambassadors of the EU and USA, and the heads of missions of KFOR, the OSCE and EULEX, that the time had come for a great historic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

“We can’t go back because the history of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is a tragic story. We can’t stay in place or in a stalemate and we don’t have anything to wait for because delays in resolving Kosovo-Serbia relations is an invitation for tensions, destabilization, huge problems, not just between us but in the entire region,” Thaci said.

EPP is expecting successful elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A delegation of the EPP group in European Parliament conducted a fact-finding mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 29-31. One of the principal aims of the talks conducted was to convey the message that the reforms, connected with the European integration of the country, and the debate on the electoral law need to be stepped up. The MEPs also discussed, with the top officials of the country, the preparations for parliamentary elections due in October. The mission head Andrey Kovatchev said he expected the elections to give a significant impetus to the country’s European integration, and to bring about a speedy formation of an effective government that will continue with the reforms on the road leading to the EU.

Opposition in Albania: Criminals in Albania are not afraid of the state, because it is in their hands

The opposition Socialist Movement for Integration in Albania, the third biggest political force in the country, warned that criminals are not afraid of the state, because “it is in their hands”. The movement’s leader Monika Kryemadhi levelled grave accusations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, calling him “chief criminal who is head of the government”.

Prime minister of Montenegro receives death threats

Underneath the Facebook post, in which he expressed condolences for the demise of US senator John McCain, the Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic received death threats. “Very soon we will be celebrating your death,” reads the comment. The police have issued a statement that the secret services are taking all steps necessary to find the culprit. According to the local web portal cdm.me, the comment was written by a Montenegrin living in USA.

Compiled by Stoimen Pavlov

English version: Milena Daynova