Romania’s incumbent President Klaus Iohannis leads after first round of presidential elections

The incumbent President of Romania Klaus Iohannis won 39% of the votes at the first round of the presidential elections in this country. The former Premier Viorica Dancila from the Social Democratic Party is second. She earned 22% of the votes. The leader of the center-right Save Romania Union Dan Barna is third with over 16% of the votes. Klaus Iohannis and Viorica Dancila will compete for the votes of the Romanians at the run-off elections on November 24.

Skopje, Belgrade and Tirana create Balkan Mini Schengen

The Premiers of Albania and North Macedonia Edi Rama and Zoran Zaev and the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic agreed in Ohrid to launch a free trade zone between the three countries that would boost economic growth and foreign investments. The initiative was called “Mini-Schengen”. The participants at the meeting called on the other Western Balkan countries to join the initiative as well. The US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer said that Washington supports the Balkan Schengen initiative.

Bosnia and Montenegro have not taken final decision on so-called Mini-Schengen

The Premier of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdic said that Sarajevo has not adopted a final position on the so-called “mini-Schengen”, because this country has not received enough information on the initiative and the models to abolish customs barriers. Montenegro’s Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulic also voiced reservations about the initiative and commented that each initiative should be considered depending on whether it brings benefits and accelerates out path to the EU. Denis Zvizdic and Dragica Sekulic also attended the summit of the Western Balkan leaders in Ohrid.

Albania criticizes Kosovo’s absence from Ohrid meeting of Western Balkan leaders

Albania’s Premier Edia Rama criticized Pristina’s absence from the Ohrid meeting of the Western Balkan leaders. On occasion of the regional initiative undertaken in Ohrid, Hashim Thaci commented that it makes no sense as long as Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognize Kosovo’s independence. In return, Premier Rama commented that until now Pristina had always sent representatives at the leaders’ meetings of the six Western Balkan countries held in Sofia, London, Poznan, Trieste, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Vienna, Durres, Skopje, Sarajevo and Ulcinj, although they did not result in recognition of Kosovo by Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

USA insist that Turkey gets rid of S-400 missile system

The US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien announced that at the forthcoming meeting on Wednesday with his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan the US President Donald Trump will insist that Ankara gets rid of the Russian S-400 missile system. The S-400 missile system is not compatible with NATO forces and if Turkey does not get rid of this system, the USA will likely impose military sanctions on Turkey, Robert O’Brien told CNN.

Compiled by: Stoimen Pavlov

English version: Kostadin Atanasov