China and the Balkans

Balkan Blast 6/25/2021: Kosovo’s Kurti doesn’t get pledge on visa liberalization in Paris from France’s Macron. Serbia’s Vučić and China’s Xi Jinping discuss “iron friendship”. European Parliament adopts report on BiH to ire of Croatian MEPs.Photo: Croatia Week

Balkan Blast 6/25/2021: Kosovo’s Kurti doesn’t get pledge on visa liberalization in Paris from France’s Macron. Serbia’s Vučić and China’s Xi Jinping discuss “iron friendship”. European Parliament adopts report on BiH to ire of Croatian MEPs.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY KOSOVO’S KURTI MEETS MACRON IN FRANCE: Kosovo’s PM Albin Kurti said at a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris that there are no guarantees from Macron for visa liberalization. “I am convinced that they got our […]

Balkan Blast 6/24/2021: N. Macedonia’s Zaev, Albania’s Rama express frustration over the EU’s failure to open accession negotiations. European institutions to help Montenegro with $1bn debt to China. US releases report on Kosovo’s Lake Ujmani/Gazivode per Washington Agreement. Montenegro gov’t to fall?Photo: Erasmusu.com

Balkan Blast 6/24/2021: N. Macedonia’s Zaev, Albania’s Rama express frustration over the EU’s failure to open accession negotiations. European institutions to help Montenegro with $1bn debt to China. US releases report on Kosovo’s Lake Ujmani/Gazivode per Washington Agreement. Montenegro gov’t to fall?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY ZAEV, RAMA ON EU ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS: N. Macedonia’s PM Zoran Zaev and Albania’s PM Edi Rama addressed reporters on the EU’s failure to open accession negotiations with Skopje and Tirana at a joint conference at the 2021 Skopje Economic […]

Balkan Blast 6/17/2021: Former US Rep. Stivers awarded Order of the Serbian Flag by Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić. EUSR Lajčák notes “If you don’t trust the EU, go somewhere else” at the GLOBSEC 2021 Bratislava Forum. The Netherlands relents on blocking Albania’s EU path.

Balkan Blast 6/17/2021: Former US Rep. Stivers awarded Order of the Serbian Flag by Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić. EUSR Lajčák notes “If you don’t trust the EU, go somewhere else” at the GLOBSEC 2021 Bratislava Forum. The Netherlands relents on blocking Albania’s EU path.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY FORMER US REP. STIVERS (R, OH-15) AWARDED BY SERBIA’S VUČIĆ: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić awarded former Ohio Congressman Steve Stivers with the Order of the Serbian Flag of the Second Degree for building relations between Serbia and the US. […]

Balkan Blast 6/16/2021: Vučić, Kurti far from an agreement after meeting in Brussels as a part of the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue. US, EU release joint statement including to “further strengthen our joint engagement in the Western Balkans.” China says NATO bombing of embassy in Belgrade deliberate.

Balkan Blast 6/16/2021: Vučić, Kurti far from an agreement after meeting in Brussels as a part of the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue. US, EU release joint statement including to “further strengthen our joint engagement in the Western Balkans.” China says NATO bombing of embassy in Belgrade deliberate.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY KURTI, VUČIĆ FAR APART ON AGREEMENT: Kosovo PM Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić met in Brussels yesterday in Brussels under the auspicious of the EU in the latest session of the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue. The EU Special Representative […]

Balkan Blast 6/9/2021: US President Biden signs executive order to expand sanctions on Western Balkans corrupt actors. Ratko Mladić life sentence upheld at UN court. German FM Heiko Maas calls for greater freedom of movement in Berlin Process virtual meeting.

Balkan Blast 6/9/2021: US President Biden signs executive order to expand sanctions on Western Balkans corrupt actors. Ratko Mladić life sentence upheld at UN court. German FM Heiko Maas calls for greater freedom of movement in Berlin Process virtual meeting.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY BIDEN AIMS TO TACKLE CORRUPTION, DESTABILIZATION: US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Blocking Property And Suspending Entry Into The United States Of Certain Persons Contributing To The Destabilizing Situation In The Western Balkans. He expanded the […]

Blakan Blast 6/8/2021 Kosovo and Serbia call on each other to open archives to look for the missing. German FM Maas calls for end to veto in EU. Dodik, Čović aim to keep ethnic divide alive in BiH.Photo: The Srpska Times

Blakan Blast 6/8/2021 Kosovo and Serbia call on each other to open archives to look for the missing. German FM Maas calls for end to veto in EU. Dodik, Čović aim to keep ethnic divide alive in BiH.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY KOSOVO-SERBIA MISSING: Authorities in Belgrade and Pristina, including Director of the Office for Kosovo Petar Petković and Kosovo PM Albin Kurti, each claimed the other side was not doing enough to open archives to research the location and incidents […]

Balkan Blast 5/28/2021: Christian Schmidt named new High Representative for BiH. China to open grace period to Montenegro to repay $1bn loan. Croatian PM Plenković talks economic cooperation with China’s Yang Jiechi. Preševo Mayor accuses Serbia of ethnic cleansing.

Balkan Blast 5/28/2021: Christian Schmidt named new High Representative for BiH. China to open grace period to Montenegro to repay $1bn loan. Croatian PM Plenković talks economic cooperation with China’s Yang Jiechi. Preševo Mayor accuses Serbia of ethnic cleansing.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY SCHMIDT NAMED NEW HIGH REPRESENTATIVE TO BiH: The Ambassadors of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council appointed Christian Schmidt as the next High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He will be replacing Valentin Inzko who resigned on […]

Balkan Blast 4/28/2021: Albania’s Socialists led by PM Edi Rama wins parliamentary elections. U.S. returns to pre-Trump policy on the Western Balkans. Germany, France deny non paper on Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue. Pendarovski visits EU officials in Brussels.Photo: Jessica S. Hitchcock/Twitter

Balkan Blast 4/28/2021: Albania’s Socialists led by PM Edi Rama wins parliamentary elections. U.S. returns to pre-Trump policy on the Western Balkans. Germany, France deny non paper on Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue. Pendarovski visits EU officials in Brussels.

Join your fellow Balkan Insider readers, on Thursday, April 29th at 12:00PM EST/6:00PM CET, for a webinar with the former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, W. Robert Kohorst. The former ambassador will share his highlights from his three plus years based in Zagreb on key geo-political […]

Balkan Blast 4/23/2021: Local politics overshadow commemorations at Jasenovac. Serbia’s President, PM, and Speaker visit Banja Luka. Germany’s FM Maas on official visit to Kosovo, Serbia. Slovenia and Poland’s PMs call for an end to Nord Stream 2.

Balkan Blast 4/23/2021: Local politics overshadow commemorations at Jasenovac. Serbia’s President, PM, and Speaker visit Banja Luka. Germany’s FM Maas on official visit to Kosovo, Serbia. Slovenia and Poland’s PMs call for an end to Nord Stream 2.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY SERBIAN DELEGATION VISITS BANJA LUKA: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić led a delegation to mark the Day of the City of Banja Luka, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity. The delegation included PM Ana Brnabić and […]

Balkan Blast 4/16/2021: Slovenia’s non-paper bombshell shocks the Western Balkans. Vučić meets QUINT, EU representatives. Rama’s offer for grand coalition shut down.

Balkan Blast 4/16/2021: Slovenia’s non-paper bombshell shocks the Western Balkans. Vučić meets QUINT, EU representatives. Rama’s offer for grand coalition shut down.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE BALKANS TODAY SLOVENIA’S NON-PAPER BOMBSHELL: Slovenian news outlet necenzurirano leaked the alleged Slovenian non-paper that would redraw the borders in the Western Balkans along ethnic lines. According to the document, it aims to tackle the “unresolved national issues of Serbs, Albanians […]

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