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Sat, May 26 2012
Bulgaria to back visa liberalisation for Albania, Mladenov says
Nikolai Mladenov, left, and Ilir Meta at a news conference in Tirana on May 14 2010.
Photo: Bulgarian Foreign Ministry
Bulgaria will support European visa liberalisation for Albania, Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said during a May 14 2010 visit to Tirana at the close of his six-country tour of the Western Balkans.
Mladenov visited Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania with messages of support for the European integration of the Western Balkans and Bulgaria’s willingness to share it experiences in assisting this process.
In the Albanian capital Tirana, Mladenov had talks with foreign minister and deputy prime minister Ilir Meta, discussing the issue of Albania’s progress in rule of law and the fight against organised crime and corruption.
Mladenov also met president Bamir Topi and the speaker of Albania’s parliament Josefina Topalli, as well as opposition leader Edi Rama.
In Tirana, the past two weeks have seen large-scale protests, the latest in a campaign by the opposition against the 2009 elections that resulted in victory for prime minister Sali Berisha.
About 200 opposition socialist party activists have been on hunger strike calling for a recount, and the Tirana rally was in solidarity with them.
The crisis, which involved a several-months long boycott of parliament by the Socialists, has paralysed Albanian politics and is damaging the country's bid for European Union membership, the BBC said.
Brussels is openly voicing its concern and several bodies, including the Council of Europe, are attempting to mediate between the Democrats and Socialists.
A Foreign Ministry statement quoted Mladenov as saying that Bulgaria did not want to interfere in the domestic affairs of its fellow Nato state. He said that Bulgaria had learnt that political disputes should be resolved in parliament and called on all parties in Albania to resolve the issues on the basis of transparency and the spirit of constitutionalism.
Mladenov visited Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania with messages of support for the European integration of the Western Balkans and Bulgaria’s willingness to share it experiences in assisting this process.
In the Albanian capital Tirana, Mladenov had talks with foreign minister and deputy prime minister Ilir Meta, discussing the issue of Albania’s progress in rule of law and the fight against organised crime and corruption.
Mladenov also met president Bamir Topi and the speaker of Albania’s parliament Josefina Topalli, as well as opposition leader Edi Rama.
In Tirana, the past two weeks have seen large-scale protests, the latest in a campaign by the opposition against the 2009 elections that resulted in victory for prime minister Sali Berisha.
About 200 opposition socialist party activists have been on hunger strike calling for a recount, and the Tirana rally was in solidarity with them.
The crisis, which involved a several-months long boycott of parliament by the Socialists, has paralysed Albanian politics and is damaging the country's bid for European Union membership, the BBC said.
Brussels is openly voicing its concern and several bodies, including the Council of Europe, are attempting to mediate between the Democrats and Socialists.
A Foreign Ministry statement quoted Mladenov as saying that Bulgaria did not want to interfere in the domestic affairs of its fellow Nato state. He said that Bulgaria had learnt that political disputes should be resolved in parliament and called on all parties in Albania to resolve the issues on the basis of transparency and the spirit of constitutionalism.
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European Parliament's foreign affairs committee approves resolutions on Albania, Kosovo
Albania has made progress on reform, but must do more to curb corruption, and all EU member states should back a common approach to Kosovo, the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee said in two resolutions, approved on June 23 2010
Bulgaria to ease visa regime for tourists from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova
The goal is to stimulate the flow of tourist from these countries over the summer.
UN told of concerns about Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prospects for regional reconciliation in the Western Balkans have continued to improve, but attempts are being made to undermine state institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Security Council told.
EU urges Albanian government, opposition to find solution to standoff
Opposition groups that have been protesting in Tirana against alleged fraud in the 2009 election fraud ended their hunger strike on May 29 2010, and the following day Albania’s prime minister and the chief of the opposition met for dinner in Strasbourg at an event arranged by European Parliament groups.
Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen visits Bulgaria
Top of the agenda will be the contemplated installation of an anti-missile defence system in the region.
Forum confirms call for European future for Western Balkans
European Economic and Social Committee and and Western Balkans civil society organisations call for implementation of legislation in the region.
Bulgarian FM wraps up Western Balkans tour in Albania
Bulgaria believes that the future of the Western Balkans is in Europe, Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov reiterates.
A Western Balkans odyssey
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov’s roadshow in the region has a European future as its lodestar
Editorial: Bulgaria and the Western Balkans
It may not be unusual for a Bulgarian Foreign Minister to visit the individual countries of the Western Balkans, but the action taken by Nikolai Mladenov to do so consecutively, with a coherent and consistent message about European integration could make it a landmark event.
Bulgarian FM in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Western Balkans tour
Latest stage of regional roadshow takes Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov to Sarajevo and Banja Luka.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister starts Western Balkans tour
‘Roadshow’ will take Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov to Skopje, Belgrade, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo and Tirana, from May 5 to May 14 2010.
Western Balkans among key themes of Bulgarian FM’s US trip
Energy issues, Middle East, anti-Semitism in Europe and the expansion of the United States visa waiver programme to include Bulgaria all have been part of the agenda during Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov’s visit to the US.
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friend, I am sorry, I should have clarified that I was only agreeing with Anne's comments that all modern humans originated in Africa. For me, ultra nationalism based on ethnicity or race is pointless. I believe these ideas of ethnicity and race can be regarded more or less as social constructs. I understand this "us vs. them" mentality is an integral part of the human psyche, and probably will never go away. It's truly unfortunate because it has lead us not only to suffer, but to inflict great suffering upon others.
Expat, very true that we could possibly originated all from Africa, but Anne is using the same humiliating argument as other Serb ethnic nationalists to justify their land grab ideas.
It is sad to see their rediculous atempts to gain some sort of identity by denying others theirs. just another inferiority complex.
So if they are not from the region, as you said some people came to europe and others went east. should have stayed there, nobody extended them an invitation to be themselfs in barbaric acts.
Actually, Anne is correct in saying that humans all originated in Africa. Presuming, of course, that you agree with the theory of evolution. Approximately (according to most respected geneticists) 200,000 years ago, modern humans moved out of Africa via the Levant and some of those people went into Europe, others off to Asia and beyond. Since this time, of course, people have been mixing and mingling. No human is purely anything.
Anne
Is that the justification Serbs use these days?
Gypsys moved from nearly the same line as slavs, why should the Serbs be treated differently then? Damn the gypos were making music while the Sorboi were still in Estern Germany 300 years before the rest of the saveges came south.
And now i guess you will bring in the ideal empty settling spot and the fork, but get real.
People as coward as Serbs who celebrate loss as win and flee from wars and wait for [...]
Read the full comment others to liberate them, cant possibly have a single m2 of land, Serbs are just a Russian experiment for adriatic coast, all twisted in that direction.
So Serbs as Russian slaves cant give autochthonous people history lessons.
Find out about your own self before you mingle in more rediculous african adventures.
Markel, you're as stupid as you can be...oops pardon my French! Part of the Slavic people came from Northern Europe and settled in the south. Nobody is real European according to you...We all (all races) came originally from Africa. Do your research!
carsten is clearly a "cetnik savage" and knows nothing of one of the most ancient Europian civilasation's of the Western Balkans, that of Illyrians today's Albanians. We have been here in the heart of Europe way before Balkan territories were invaded by travelling gypsies( slavic) tribes i.e serbs. So the question is Who really deserves to call themselves Europians???
well good luck, all the deciding countries have their experiences with Siptars already, it will be hard to convince them...
but hey, hope dies last...