Balkan developments

published on 12/8/23 2:19 PM

Slovenia extends the introduced border control to Croatia and Hungary

The Slovenian government has extended border controls with Croatia and ‎Hungary until December 21 in order to prevent terrorism, extremism and cross-‎border crime, BTA reported. Slovenia reinstated police checks on October 21 ‎after Italy did the same on its border with Slovenia, citing a danger to public ‎order, internal security and an increased risk of terrorist attacks due to the ‎situation in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Slovenian Interior Minister Boštjan ‎Poklukar said that Ljubljana plans to extend border controls after December 21 ‎because of the medium risk of terrorism in Slovenia and the high risk of terrorism ‎in the EU under Art. 28 of the Schengen Code, allowing border control for two ‎months. After that, control will remain under Art. 25 and Art. 27, which allow it ‎for 6 months.‎

Albanian Prime Minister: Migrant centers are not ideal, but they are an EU ‎solution

The agreement with Italy on migrants will not have social consequences for ‎Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama said, quoted by the national agency ATA. The ‎agreement provides for the establishment of two centers near the city of Shëngjin ‎to accommodate up to 3,000 migrants rescued at sea per month and up to 36,000 ‎per year. They will remain there while their asylum applications are processed. ‎

"Closed centers are not the ideal solution, but we are not the ones offering a ‎solution to a problem for the whole of Europe. These are centers approved by the ‎EU," Rama pointed out.

Turkey and Greece sign a declaration of friendship and good ‎neighbourliness

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Erdogan ‎signed the Athens a Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness. ‎This happened after the 5th high-level meeting of the Turkey-Greece ‎Cooperation Council on December 7, 2023, the Greek news agency ANA-MPA ‎reported, quoted by BTA. The two countries are committed to maintain ‎friendly and good-neighbourly relations and remain in calm waters, the statement reads. They will use effective communication channels at all levels to prevent ‎conflict situations and escalation.

Athens and Ankara will develop their relations ‎along 3 axes - political dialogue on matters of mutual interest, a positive agenda ‎and confidence-building measures. The Athens Declaration does not affect the ‎legal positions of the two countries, which adhere to the principles of the UN. ‎

Plans to build second Ruse-Giurgiu bridge under a military ‎mobility program

Romania has submitted a project for the construction of a second bridge near ‎Giurgiu and Ruse under the European program for military mobility, European ‎Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean announced. "The result of the ‎application can be announced on December 15," Valean told the media in ‎response to a question about a second bridge between Romania and Bulgaria near ‎Ruse - Giurgiu. The project is for a road bridge with a rail option. The estimated ‎value of the feasibility study is EUR 6 million. The European Commissioner also ‎said that the railway connection Bucharest - Giurgiu will be financed separately ‎with 570 million euros, because it is part of a corridor that should continue south. ‎Valean expressed hope that the new bridge between Giurgiu and Ruse will ‎have a railway component.

AGERPRES recalls that Sofia and Bucharest already ‎on September 21 presented the project for the new bridge to the European ‎Commission, Focus agency reports.‎

Cyprus passes law to attract foreign intellectual capital

Cyprus will attract tech talent to work on the island by easing citizenship rules. ‎The parliament in Nicosia approved a law for this. The measure is for foreign ‎highly qualified specialists in scientific research, technology and innovation. With ‎the adopted changes, part of the requirements are eased, bureaucracy is reduced ‎and procedures are improved in relation to this priority group for Cyprus. ‎Applicants' requests will be considered within 8 months.

The new model of ‎naturalization is aimed at attracting intellectual, not financial capital, and has ‎nothing to do with the compromised and canceled program for the so-called ‎golden passports, MPs emphasized during the adoption of the law, reports the ‎correspondent of BNR in Cyprus Branislava Bobanats.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov

Share

Balkan developments

Share

More from category

Diana Glasnova writes a book about the past of Bulgarian gardeners in Croatia

In keeping with the old and new calendar traditions, Babinden celebrated twice in January

The BNR’s QSL cards for 2025 present the beauty of Bulgaria

Bulgaria and Vincent Dupuy

Circle of Life: How the Eastern Rhodopes became a model of a restored ecosystem