Athens is ready to mediate between Skopje and Sofia

As a friend of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, Greece will try to facilitate the resolution of their differences in any possible way, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in an interview with Euronews. "After the Thessaloniki agenda, Greece firmly believes in the European perspective of the Western Balkans, and in particular of North Macedonia and Albania," Dendias was quoted as saying by BTA. Asked whether Greece will take on a specific initiative, he said that “initiative is a very strong word", adding that the country was everyone's friend and was trying to be useful to everyone. "Yet again, we have to look at the big picture, and the big picture is the future of the Balkans within the EU," Dendias stressed.

The Serbian language is being returned to Macedonian schools

On the day of St. Sava - January 27^th, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev announced that the teaching of Serbian language and culture for 6^th grade students is returning to schools in the country, BGNES reported. The program for VIII and IX grade is in the process of approval. Congratulating the Serb minority in North Macedonia, Zaev stressed that in 2007 the then-ruling VMRO-DPMNE deprived students of the opportunity to study Serbian as an elective subject. In the spirit of "traditionally good relations with the Republic of Serbia", the preliminary activities for the construction of a Serbian cultural centre have been completed in Skopje, construction activities for which will begin this year, Zaev added.

Ramush Haradinaj has threatened to demand the unification of Kosovo with Albania

US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett said that "American troops did not fight, and some of them diе to create a Greater Serbia and a Greater Albania in the Balkans," BTA reported. The ambassador said he would "regret if Kosovars renounce Kosovo's statehood" and fail to focus on a "multi-ethnic society with religious freedom for all". He commented on a statement by former Kosovo Prime Minister and current chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, that he intended to call for a referendum on the unification of Kosovo and Albania. According to Haradinaj, this is necessary because Serbia is blocking the country's international integration into the EU and NATO. He said reunification should happen in the same way that Kosovo's army was created and the country's independence declared in 2008.

Serbia has started immunization against Covid-19 with a Chinese vaccine

Mass vaccination with the Chinese Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine has begun in Serbia. This vaccine is one of three, along with that of Pfizer and the Russian Sputnik V, offered to Serbs.

Serbia is the first European country to receive the drug, according to Beta agency. On January 16^th in Belgrade, a shipment of 1million vaccines was met at the airport by President Aleksandar Vucic.

Meanwhile, the Republican Statistical Institute said that in 2020, Serbia's population had shrunk by 53,000 and mortality had risen by 14%, due to the pandemic, BTA reported.

Due to the drought, Turkey will collect rainwater

Turkey is introducing a mandatory rainwater harvesting system for the construction of new buildings as a measure against drought. The measure, introduced by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, applies to buildings with an area of ​​over 2,000 sq.m. The water will be collected from the roofs in underground tanks. The order was published in the Turkish state newspaper Resmi Gazete.

According to experts, rainwater and domestic wastewater collection systems will help solve the problem with drought.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov

English version Rositsa Petkova

Photos: EPA/BGNES