Serbia and Kosovo reach a compromise deal on exit and entry documents

European Union high Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said Serbia and Kosovo had reached a compromise deal over the distribution of exit and entry documents, an issue that has helped raise tensions along the two countries’ border, Radio Free Europe reported.  “Citizens of Kosovo with identification documents issued by our country, will be able to cross the border with Serbia at all border crossings without obstacles, burdens, or delays”, Kosovo’s Premier Albin Kurti wrote on Facebook. “The same will apply to the opposite direction in the case of entering Kosovo with identification documents issued by the Serbian authorities”, Albin Kutri further said. “I am happy that we found a European solution that facilitates travel between Kosovo and Serbia, which is in the interest of all citizens of Kosovo and Serbia”, Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter. The deal appears to be a major concession by Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, who previously refused to accept identity documents issued by Pristina, which could be seen as Belgrade’s recognition of Kosovar national documents, RFE/Rl further reports. The agreement between Kosovo and Serbia was reached after meetings of the U.S. Special Envoy to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar and the EU Special Representative for the Pristina-Belgrade Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak with the two leaders.

Greece extends border with Turkey to contain migration pressure

Greece is trying to contain the migration pressure be extending the border with another 80 kilometers, the BNR’s correspondent in Greece Katya Peeva reported. The complementary measures also include cutting-edge surveillance cameras and 250 more border guards. Athens accuses Turkey of using the migrant issue to put pressure on Europe. In August, at least 1,000 illegal migrants attempted to cross the Greek-Turkish border on a daily basis. 77 migrant smugglers were detained last month only, Eleftheros Typos reports. Migration pressure be sea has also increased.

Croatia’s Premier Andrej Plenkovic: Tourism results indicate that economic growth will exceed the government's expectations

This year’s tourism results indicate that economic growth in the third quarter of 2022 will exceed the government’s expectations, Croatia’s Premier Andrej Plenkovic said at a government session on Thursday. In the year to day there have been 14.9 million arrivals and 85.9 million overnight stays, which is 91% and 96% of the results in the record-breaking year 2019, Croatia’s Premier Plenkovic said, quoted by Hina agency.

Belgrade hosts the First International Wine Fair “Wine Vision by Open Balkan”

Between September 1 and 4, Serbia’s capital Belgrade hosts the First International Wine Fair “Wine Vision by Open Balkan”. The event is held under the auspices of the governments of Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia and is organized within the framework of the Open Balkan initiative. The wine fair will take place annually in a different capital city in the region, turning step by step into an important economic and tourist instrument. “I decided not to use the speech that my team had prepared for me, because it started with the expression that we, in Albania, have made the first wine in the Balkans back in the Bronze Age. I don’t know how true this is, but I do know that we have wasted a lot of time trying to tell each other who was first, who was the oldest”, Albania’s Premier Edi Rama noted. The wine fair aims to promote flavors and aromas that represent the spirit of the Balkans. More than 250 wine manufacturers and traders from different countries are participating at the event. Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will also attend today’s Open Balkan summit in Belgrade.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Kostadin Atanasov