The Dispatch

Kosovo backs off from Serb car plate rule after West warnings

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo said it will delay a rule to confiscate cars owned by ethnic Serbs who refuse to use local car plates following criticism by Western countries that…

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Bulgarian parliament backs call to speed up work on euro zone entry

SOFIA, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's caretaker government needs to speed up talks with European Union institutions to ensure that the country does not miss its target date of January…

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EP urges Member States to allow Romania and Bulgaria in Schengen area

The European Parliament has urged member states to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen free-travel area without delay. In a resolution adopted earlier today, MEPs called on the…

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Bulgaria’s inflation increases to 18.7% y/y in September

SOFIA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's consumer prices rose by 18.7% on an annual basis in September from an increase of 17.7% in August, reaching a new 24-year high, as…

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Turkey denies involvement with migrant incident at Greek border

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey denied involvement in an incident where Greece found 92 illegal migrants close to its northern border with Turkey, Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli said. "As…

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UPDATE -Turkish mine blast death toll rises to 40, one miner missing

By Mert Ozkan BARTIN, Turkey , Oct 15 (Reuters) - An explosion in a coal mine in Turkey's northern Bartin province on Friday killed 40 people, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on…

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Serbia must adapt to EU visa policy to join bloc – German interior minister

BERLIN, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Serbia must adapt to European Union visa policy if it wants to join the bloc, Germany's interior minister said in Luxembourg on Friday. "I hope…

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Turkey’s parliament adopts media law jailing those spreading ‘disinformation’

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament on Thursday adopted a law proposed by President Tayyip Erdogan that would jail journalists and social media users for up to three years for spreading…

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Turkey would write off nearly 30 bln lira of debt under draft law

ISTANBUL, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A Turkish parliamentary commission began discussing on Thursday a draft bill that would write off nearly 30 billion lira ($1.61 billion) of debt, according to…

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Putin puts “gas hub” plan to Turkey’s Erdogan

ASTANA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday that Turkey was the most reliable route to deliver gas to the European…

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EU’s von der Leyen: proposed candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The EU has proposed to grant candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU's Ursula Von der Leyen said on Wednesday at the EU Ambassadors Conference…

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Hungary, Serbia agree to build pipeline to ship Russian oil to Serbia

BUDAPEST, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Hungary and Serbia have agreed to build an oil pipeline that would allow Serbia to be supplied with Russian Urals crude via the Druzhba oil…

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Erdogan says Turkey still negative on Sweden’s NATO bid

ANKARA, (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey would continue opposing Sweden's NATO membership bid until its demands are met for a tougher Swedish stance against "terrorist…

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Serbia’s police prevent 200 migrants from entering Hungary, seize money, weapons

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian police prevented 200 migrants from crossing into the country's northern neighbour Hungary and seized money and weapons, the interior ministry said. The number of illegal migrants…

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Bulgaria’s former-PM Borissov seeks path to coalition in fractured parliament

Bulgaria's former prime minister Boyko Borissov said on Tuesday his centre-right GERB party would seek talks with political rivals to try to form a government after an election win that…

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Turkey and Libyan government agree preliminary maritime energy deal

Libya's Tripoli government signed a series of preliminary economic agreements with Turkey on Monday that included potential energy exploration in maritime areas, but Libya's eastern-based parliament rejected the move. Speaking at…

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Moderate Bosniak candidate leads in race for presidency seat

Bosnia votes amid political crisis Moderate Bosniak leader set to win seat in presidency International peace overseer imposes changes to election law SARAJEVO, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Moderate Bosniak candidate Denis Becirevic is leading in…

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Centre-right GERB party leads in Bulgaria election -partial results

SOFIA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The centre-right GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won Sunday's parliamentary election in Bulgaria, with 25.4% of votes, results from 99% of ballots counted showed…

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UPDATE – Polls close as Bosnians choose between nationalists and reformists

Polls close as Bosnians choose between 'old and 'new' 35% of voters turned out by 3 p.m (1300 GMT) Election authorities say vote proceeded well By Daria Sito-Sucic SARAJEVO, Oct…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party seen leading in election, exit polls show

UPDATE 2-Bulgaria's GERB party seen winning national election SOFIA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The GERB party of ex-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov looked set to win Sunday's election in Bulgaria, the nation's fourth…

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What is at stake in Bosnia’s general election?

SARAJEVO, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Bosnia is holding presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday amid its since the end of the 1992-95 war. The polls opened at 7 a.m (0500…

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Russia overshadows vote in Bulgaria

Few countries in Europe take more of their gas from Russia than Bulgaria - and yet Bulgarians are increasingly asking themselves whether they really need it. Energy is top of…

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Weary Bulgarians fear more political turmoil after latest election

DAVIDKOVO, Bulgaria, (Reuters) - Bulgarians bracing for their fourth election in less than two years face a winter of want amid soaring inflation driven by the war in Ukraine, making…

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Turkey rejects Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it rejects Russia's annexation of four regions in Ukraine, adding the decision is a "grave violation" of international law. Turkey, a…

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Turkish trade deficit jumps 160% in August -stats institute

ISTANBUL, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign trade deficit surged 159.9% year-on-year to $11.19 billion in August, with imports surging 40.4%, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed on Friday.…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party expands lead ahead of Sunday’s election

SOFIA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party widened its lead over its main rival, the reformist We Continue the Change (PP), as the country heads into its fourth…

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Montenegro investigates Russians, Montenegrins on suspicion of spying

BELGRADE, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Authorities in Montenegro have launched an investigation against an unspecified number of people on charges of espionage, a spokesman for the Special State Prosecutor's office…

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Turkey to reinforce military presence in northern Cyprus -Erdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will rein force its military presence in northern Cyprus after the United States lifted defence trade restrictions on Cyprus, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said. Speaking in…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Istanbul, Turkey

View of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge as fogs cover the Bosphorus, back-dropped by the Camlica mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Via EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

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Turkish foreign visitor arrivals jump 58% in August

ISTANBUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey leapt 58.3% from a year earlier to 6.3 million in August, data showed on Friday, continuing the…

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Bulgaria inches closer to buying more F-16s to replace Russian jets

Bulgaria inched closer to buying a second batch of eight new F-16 aircraft and related equipment from the United States in a deal valued at $1.30 billion, interim Defence Minister…

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NATO ready to send more troops to Kosovo

PRISTINA, (Reuters) - NATO is ready to ramp up troops in Kosovo if tensions among minority Serbs flare again as a deadline in a spat with the government over car…

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Serbia police clash with right-wing protesters at LGBTQ march

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Police clashed with right-wing protesters on Saturday as several thousand people joined an LGBTQ march in Serbia to mark the end of EuroPride week, an event staged…

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Turkey condemns U.S. decision on Cyprus arms embargo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign ministry said on Saturday it strongly condemned the expansion of a decision taken by the United States in September 2020 to lift its arms embargo…

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Erdogan wanted to meet Syria’s Assad

ISTANBUL, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had expressed a wish to meet President Bashar al-Assad if the Syrian leader had attended a summit being held in Uzbekistan,…

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Thousands march in Belgrade against planned Gay Pride parade

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Thousands of religious and right-wing activists marched through Serbia's capital on Sunday calling for authorities to ban a Gay Pride march planned for next weekend. The protesters…

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Turkey’s Erdogan echoes Putin’s gripes over grain exports

ISTANBUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he wanted grain from Russia to be exported too, adding Vladimir Putin was right to complain that grain…

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UPDATED: Albanian police search empty Iranian embassy after papers burned

TIRANA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Albanian counter-terrorism police searched the empty Iranian embassy in Tirana on Thursday, hours after Iranian diplomats burned papers inside the premises following the severing of…

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Albania cuts Iran ties, orders diplomats to go after cyber attack

TIRANA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Albania is ending diplomatic relations with Iran and has ordered Iranian diplomats and embassy staff to leave within 24 hours, after an investigation into a…

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Erdoğan repeats threat against Greece: We can come suddenly one night

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday repeated his stark warning to neighbouring Greece regarding alleged airspace violations over the Aegean Sea. It is time for Athens to "pull themselves…

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Turkey’s inflation touches new 24-year high of 80.2%

ISTANBUL, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Turkey's annual inflation climbed to a fresh 24-year high of 80.21% in August, a bit below expectations according to official data,after the central bank unexpectedly…

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Erdogan accuses Greece of ‘occupying’ demilitarised islands

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Greece of occupying islands in the Aegean Sea that have a demilitarised status, and said Turkey was prepared to "do what is…

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Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo began on Thursday a two-month implementation period for a controversial move to oblige Serbs, mainly those living in the northern part of the Balkan nation, bordering…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party leads ahead of Oct. 2 election

SOFIA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party widened its lead over its main rival, the reformist We Continue the Change (PP) a month ahead of the country's fourth…

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Montenegro blames criminal gang for cyber attacks on government

PODGORICA (Reuters) - Montenegro blamed a criminal group called Cuba ransomware for cyber attacks that have hit its government digital infrastructure since last week, described by officials as unprecedented. Public…

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UPDATED: EU urges Kosovo to give ‘sufficient time’ for car licensing rule

BRUSSELS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Thursday that Pristina should give sufficient time for the implementation of a rule under which ethnic Serbs living in northern…

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Turkey hikes electricity, gas prices by 50% for industry, 20% for homes

ISTANBUL, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities hiked electricity and natural gas prices for households by around 20% and by around 50% for industry on Thursday, putting further upward pressure…

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EU says Serbia, Kosovo settle dispute over identity documents

BRUSSELS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Serbia and Kosovo have settled an ethnic dispute over the movement of citizens across their border, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday. "We…

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Number plate row fuels ethnic tensions in Kosovo as Serbia seeks more talks

BELGRADE, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Mediated talks over the status of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo have failed to ease tensions - fuelled by a dispute over car number plates -…

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Photo Story: Aftermath of storm that hit North Macedonia

Boys stands in the area affected by a landslide that hit the mountain village of Gjermo, west of Tetovo, Republic of North Macedonia. A big storm hit western part of…

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Bulgaria says talks to resume Russian gas supplies are ‘inevitable’

Bulgaria's interim energy minister said it was "inevitable" that the Balkan country would discuss resuming gas deliveries with Russia's Gazprom GAZP.MM that were halted in April, after the government promised to secure…

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Serbia warns NATO over safety of Kosovo Serbs

Ethnic Serbs working in Kosovo will leave their jobs unless a deal is reached to end their "persecution," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned on Sunday. In a fiery TV address after meeting Kosovo Serbs, Vucic called…

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Albania investigates military factory intruders from Russia and Ukraine

TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania said it was investigating why two Russians and a Ukrainian had tried to enter a military factory and police detained four Czech nationals also close to…

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Albania arrests two Russians, one Ukrainian trying to enter military plant

TIRANA (Reuters) - The Albanian Defense Ministry said that two of its soldiers were injured while trying to stop two Russians and one Ukrainian who tried to enter a military…

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Sixteen people killed in Turkey as bus crashes at accident site

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Sixteen people were killed in southeast Turkey on Saturday when a bus crashed into emergency workers and journalists who were attending an earlier accident on a highway…

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Montenegro’s parliament passes no-confidence motion on cabinet

PODGORICA (Reuters) - Montenegro's parliament passed a no-confidence motion on the cabinet of Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic on Saturday, proposed by 36 deputies to protest the signing of a long-disputed…

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NATO peacekeepers increase presence in northern Kosovo

Peacekeepers in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) have increased their presence in northern Kosovo to be able to react to security challenges, a NATO spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday (August 18). KFOR peacekeepers were seen…

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