Romania to invest billions to renew Cernavodă NPP

Romania’s Premier Ludovic Orban has announced that his government was planning to invest an extra EUR 8-9 billion in Cernavodă nuclear power plant in retrofitting unit 1 and build units 3 and 4, Digi 24 TV announced. We want to make these investments with serious partners from the Euro-Atlantic area who have the necessary expertise and technology to be able to fulfill these fundamental investment projects, Premier Orban added. In Ludovic Orban’s words, construction works are expected to be completed by 2030.

Tension between Turkey and Greece escalates

Archbishop of Greece Ieronymos is to hold a service on July 24 at the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral to coincide with the official inauguration of the former Orthodox Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul as a mosque with the reading of Muslim prayers, Ekathimerini newspaper announced. Archbishop Ieronymos condemned the conversion of Hagia Sophia which was a museum since 1934, saying that the reading of Muslim prayers there on Friday “is a day of mourning and suffering for all Christianity, Orthodoxy and Hellenism”. The change in the status of Hagia Sophia comes against the backdrop of increasing tension in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has issued a navigational telex (NAVTEX) intending to hold seismic research southeast of the Greek island of Kastellorizo until August 2. Ankara sent a military squadron to guard the research ship Oruç Reis, Yeni Şafak daily announced. Greece also put its armed forces on high alert. The USA, France and Germany urged Turkey to avoid escalating tension, BTA informs.

Average monthly salary in Croatia to reach EUR 1010, minimum wages to stand at EUR 565

Croatia’s National Assembly approved the new cabinet of the country headed by Premier and leader of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union Andrej Plenkovic. Premier Plenkovic said that the new government will fulfill its promise to increase the minimum and the average monthly wages and that the average salary in the next 4 years will be to the tune of EUR 1010. Andrej Plenkovic also reminded that the minimum salary in Croatia increased with EUR 100 during the previous term of office and added that the minimum monthly salary in the next four-year period will be at least EUR 565 a month. Premier Plenkovic also added that he would fulfill another promise- to create 100,000 new jobs, HINA news agency reports.

Serbian Patriarchate begins negotiations with government of Montenegro

The European Union encouraged the government of Montenegro and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) to continue dialogue regarding the Law on Freedom of Religion, RTCG announced. The government of Montenegro and the Serbian Orthodox Church failed to overcome their differences during the first round of negotiations. SPC contends that Podgorica wants to confiscate its church property, including churches and monasteries in Montenegro. The authorities banned lithium protests due to the anti-epidemic measures. That is why the Serbian clergy convened the first-ever automobile procession.

Serbian doctors demand dismissal of government Covid-19 crisis unit

350 Serbian doctors, gathered in the group “United against Covid”, sent an open letter to the government and other line institutions in which they are distancing themselves from the government crisis unit, asking for its dismissal. “Serbia is in a public health catastrophe”, the doctors wrote in their open letter. Health workers are demanding from the government to explain publicly who has the authority over the COVID database and website, to devise a procedure for reliable determination of the number of people infected, sick and dead both among the population and among the health workers. “We call on our colleagues to stand by us, because the only way to overcome the fear that reigns everywhere is to stand together” the open letter reads.

Ali Ahmeti summoned to Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office as witness in trial against Kosovo’s President

The leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) Ali Ahmeti was summoned to the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office for an interview, the Skopje Nezavisen Vesnik writes. The leader of DUI commented that he was summoned as a witness under the trial on military crime against Kosovo President Hashim Thaci.  However, Ahmeti’s political position has been seriously shaken. The Ahmeti invitation comes just few days after the July 15 early general elections in North Macedonia, in which his DUI has strengthened positions as the top Albanian party in North Macedonia winning 15 seats in the 129 seat Parliament.

Kosovo concerned with Serbia’s purchase of drones and missiles from China

Kosovo expresses its concern with Serbia’s purchase of drones and missiles from China, Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs wrote on Twitter. After continuous arms deals with Russia, recent purchases expose a direct threat to peace and stability of the Western Balkan countries- a region that is determined to its EU- Atlantic path, Minister Haradinaj further wrote.

Compiled by: Ivo Ivanov

English version: Kostadin Atanasov