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Balkan Developments

Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia prepare for "Little Schengen" Photo: EPA/BGNESIn Novi Sad, Serbian President Alexander Vucic and the Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Albania Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama have agreed to significantly ease travel and trade requirements between them. The plan, known as the "Little Schengen", is due to enter into effect by 2021. According to him, citizens of the three countries will only cross the border using their ID card. The opening aims to stimulate economic development in the Balkans, without opposing to the EU, as all three countries seek EU Membership. Serbia has already started negotiations and Skopje and Tirana await Brussels’ decision to start the process. The next meeting of the three leaders is in Ohrid on November 10, when other Balkan countries will be invited to join the plan.

Jens Stoltenberg: Question of Turkey's expulsion from NATO has not been discussed

Photo: EPA/BGNESThe question of expelling Turkey from NATO has not been raised, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. During his visit to Ankara, he spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign and Defense Ministers Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Hulusi Akar. At a joint press conference with Çavuşoğlu, Stoltenberg expressed concern about the ongoing military operation in northern Syria and the risk of destabilization of the region. It is true that there is no consensus among NATO members on the situation in Syria, but Turkey has the right to be concerned about its security. Turkey is doing a lot within NATO and its contribution to the organization's activities is significant. We will continue to provide support to Turkey in the future, Stoltenberg said. At the same time, European leaders called for an immediate end to the Turkish offensive in Syria.

Romania’s government falls after no-confidence vote

Photo: EPA/BGNESA vote of no confidence overthrew the Romanian government of Dancilla with 238 votes in favor and only 4 against. This is another blow against the Social Democrats after their leader, Liviu Dragnea went to jail and their proposal for EU commissionerwas rejected. Dancilla, however, said that she would remain in charge of the party and that she would run in the presidential election in a month. Romania's President Klaus Iohannis has already started consultations with parliamentary parties to form a new government, which is expected to be formed by the National Liberal Party.

Kosovo reacts sharply against Peter Handke's Nobel Prize

Photo: REUTERS and TwitterKosovo has reacted angrily against Peter Handke's Nobel literature prize win. In a world full of brilliant writers, the Nobel Committee has chosen to reward ethnic hatred and violence propaganda, Kosovo Ambassador to the US Vlora Çitaku commented on Twitter. Kosovo's outrage stems from the fact that Handke denies the massacre in Srebrenica when 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed. The case has been recognized as genocide by the Hague International Tribunal in several sentences against the Bosnian Serb military and political leaders during the war.

The Austrian writer was also one of the opponents of NATO's air strikes against Serbia during the Kosovo conflict in the late 1990s and arrived to Belgrade during the bombings to support Slobodan Milosevic's regime.

Author: Miglena Ivanova

English: Alexander Markov


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