EU-DIGEST

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Regional Politics, Turkey

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU

Lenny Kravitz in Kosovo

For the complete report from TheEagle.com click on this link

Kravitz draws 6,000 for Bosnia concert - by Irena Knezevic

Lenny Kravitz's concert in Bosnia offered a rare glimpse of international glamour in a nation still struggling with the aftermath of a devastating ethnic war. The rock star thanked his audience in the former Yugoslav republic Thursday for shelling out $21 for the cheap seats, a weighty sum in a country with 40 percent unemployment and an average salary of about $570 a month. "I love and respect you for that," he told the 6,000 fans who gathered at his two-hour show in the Bosnian Serb city of Banja Luka, where he played such hits as American Woman and Mama Said. He also played Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, in tribute to the late superstar.

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Lenny Kravitz, Rock Music

Bosnia's main ethnic parties agree to pursue EU-required reforms

Bosnia's three main ethnic parties, representing the country's Croats, Muslims and Serbs, agreed Saturday to pursue EU-required reforms, mainly that involving the constitution, national television reported. The head of the main Muslim Party of Democratic Action, Sulejman Tihic, and leaders of the Croat Democratic Union and Serb Social Democrats, Dragan Covic and Milorad Dodik respectively, reached a deal on the reforms only three days after the European Union voiced concern that a rise of nationalism in Bosnia could undermine stability in the country. The three, who met in the small northern town of Odzak, agreed in particular to reform the country's constitution and hold a census in 2011, as required by Brussels.

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU

War crimes/Bosnia - "CIA protected Karadžić"

A former Hague Tribunal insider has added her comments to claims that Radovan Karadžić enjoyed support from the United States. Former Hague spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told the Belgrade daily Blic that the UN war crimes court's prosecution on several occasions gave the U.S. exact locations where the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs was hiding. But, Hartmann says, "they did nothing".

"Information about the fugitives' whereabouts was abundant, however, it would always turn out that one of the three countries – the U.S., Britain or France – would block arrests."

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, CIA, EU, Karadžić, Serbia

Eurovision Song Contest Serbia 2008 - Tonight: Bosnia & Herzegovina's song presentation

Tonight in a special BH Eurosong 2008 TV show programme in which the public will hear Elvir Lakovic Laka's song Pokusaj (Try It) for the first time. Laka will represent Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 53rd Eurovisin Song Contest in Belgrade on 20th May 2008 in the first semi final. After he spent seven days in Zagreb, recording the final version of the song Pokusaj in the studio owned by one of the most popular and most productive rock producers, Denis Mujadzic - Denyken, on 16th February Laka had a mini-concert in Profil Megastore in Zagreb, within the promotion of his first album Zec, published by Menart productions in Croatia.

Some 120 million television viewers across Europe tuned in to watch last year's winner, 23-year-old Marija Serifovic from Serbia, take home the crown with "Molitva", a love song about the uncertainties between God and man.

In May, the eyes of Europe will be focused on Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. A record of 43 countries take part in the 53rd running. Schedule - First Semi-Final: Tuesday, 20th of May; Second Semi-Final:
Thursday, 22nd of May; and the Final: Saturday, 24th of May

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Euro Song Festival, Eurovision, Serbia

EU proposal lays out steps on Kosovo independence - by Dan Bilefsky and Stephen Castle

Kosovo will declare its independence in the first two months of 2008 and will be recognized by Britain, France, Italy and Germany within 48 hours, under a plan to be proposed by Slovenia after it assumes the presidency of the European Union in January, senior EU officials said Wednesday. The officials described a carefully orchestrated declaration of independence, probably after Serbian elections in early February, followed by a welcome from the EU and diplomatic recognition by Europe's biggest nations. More groups of countries will then recognize an independent Kosovo in a rolling series of announcements, led by the United States, the officials said. Washington would be followed by Switzerland, Iceland and Norway before another group made up of Turkey, Macedonia, Albania Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia joined in. The 56 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference would follow suit. The looming declaration of independence is the biggest test of European foreign policy for years.

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Kosovo

Fear returns to Bosnia - by Neil MacDonald and Stefan Wagsty

While Kosovo is making headlines, diplomats in the Balkans say the real threat to peace could lie in another troubled corner of the former Yugoslavia - Bosnia.Janez Jansa, Slovenian prime minister, told the FT: "Bosnia is the most difficult case in this region - much more difficult than Kosovo." The country of about 4m people is split into two opposing "entities". In the Serb-dominated republic, citizens see neighbouring Serbia as their mother country and feel no loyalty to the weak multi-ethnic state where Bosniak Muslims form the largest group. Belgrade backs its ethnic kin. Within the other entity, the Croat-Bosniak federation, Croats rely on cumbersome administrative safeguards to prevent Bosniak domination.Western officials say there was no risk of an all-out war. Rear Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer, commander of the EU-led force, says the main risk is "localised ethnic clashes", although even then that risk is low. But he commands just 2,500 troops compared with the 60,000 Nato soldiers in the late 1990s.

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU

EU Eases Visa Requirements on 3 Balkan Countries

The European Union signed on Friday an agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro on visa facilitation, making it easier for the citizens of the three western Balkan countries to acquire EU visas.

Macedonia, which has completed talks, and Serbia, who is in the final stages of negotiation, are expected to sign similar agreements in the near future.

Labels: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Visa Requirements