New Kosova Report

Region

Albania's president says independent Kosovo would bring peace

Region
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Bamir Topi Athens - Albanian President Bamir Topi said an independent Kosovo would help bring peace and stability to the Balkans, during an official visit to Greece. 'An independent Kosovo would be a valuable contribution toward bringing a final and lasting peace to the region,' he said after talks with his Greek counterpart Carolos Papoulias, adding 'that the future of the Balkans lies in Europe.' Read More Add Comment (0)

Albania: New Prosecutor Appointed

Region

Friday, 23 November 2007

Tirana _ Albania's parliament voted on Thursday to elect a top judge from the Serious Crimes Court as the country’s new prosecutor-general.

Ina Rama, aged 35, became the first woman in Albania's history to hold such a high-ranking post in the prosecution service.

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A Balkan crisis that some see as overblown

Region
Friday, 23 November 2007
BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia is facing its worst political crisis since the end of the war here 12 years ago, and its very future is in doubt. That, at least, is the conventional wisdom coursing among international officials and ethnic Serb politicians who are fighting over the way the country is governed. Read More Add Comment (0)

Albanian parties cry foul on flag ruling in Macedonia

Region

Tuesday, 13 November 2007

Albanian Flag

A court decision to limit the use of Albanian flags in minority-dominated communities has sparked an outcry.

By Goran Trajkov for Southeast European Times in Skopje - 12/11/07

A recent ruling by the Macedonian Constitutional Court has heightened ethnic tensions in the country. In its October 25th decision, the court moved to limit the right of Albanian communities to fly the Albanian flag alongside the Macedonian one. Two ethnic Albanian judges on the court promptly resigned in protest.

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All eyes on Kosovo, but Bosnia can prove greater threat to Balkan stability

Region
Saturday, 10 November 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium: As the West tries to solve the future of Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo, another related, and perhaps more dangerous threat to European security is lurking in the background — a possible disintegration of Bosnia, officials and analysts warn. The ethnically divided country is in turmoil, with Bosnian Serbs protesting reforms proposed by the top international administrator to boost the power of central institutions. The Serbs, who control half of Bosnia, are hinting they may try to split the former Yugoslav republic in two if Kosovo is allowed to secede from Serbia. It was a similar Serbian breakup bid in the 1990s that triggered the worst bloodshed in Europe since World War II. Diplomats fear that EU support for Kosovo secession may add to Balkan instability, prodding the Bosnian Serb Republic's prime minister, Miroslav Dodik, to press for independence of the Serb-controlled mini state in Bosnia. "As soon as Kosovo becomes independent, he, too, will start playing with the idea of independence. He could go for a referendum," said a top European diplomat with a detailed knowledge of Bosnia. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to publicly discuss the issue. Read More Add Comment (1)