Cypriot leaders make progress in talks on federal government
06/01/2009
NICOSIA, Cyprus -- President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have made significant progress in their talks on the future federal government, UN Special Representative Taye-Brook Zerihoun said after the two leaders' meeting on Monday (January 5th). "They have reached full agreement on the issue of harmonisation and co-operation between the federal government and the constituent states," Zerihoun told reporters. He added Christofias and Talat are also "very close" to consensus on the issue of hierarchy of norms. Later, both Christofias and Talat agreed they had made progress. They meet next on January 12th.
In other news Monday, Cypriot police captured the country's most wanted criminal, Antonis Kitas, in a reported raid on a house in Paralimni. Kitas, also known as "Al Capone", escaped from a private hospital in Nicosia on December 12th. He was serving a life sentence for the brutal rape and murder of two foreigners in 1994. His escape prompted Justice Minister Kypros Chrysostomides to resign in mid-December. (CNA, Famagusta Gazette, Naftemporiki, Anadolu news agency, Hurriyet, Zaman, Xinhua - 05/01/09)
New airspace row heightens tensions between Greece, Turkey
06/01/2009
ATHENS, Greece -- Local media reported on Monday (January 5th) that Greece has sent two protest notes to Turkey's Foreign Ministry regarding a new dispute over the airspace border in the Aegean Sea. Turkey says Greek helicopters flying over the small Dodecanese island of Farmakonisi violated its airspace on two separate occasions last week. Turkish air defence control warned the Greek pilots they had entered Turkey's Flight Information Region and asked them to leave the area immediately. Greece, however, claims the area over Farmakonisi belongs to its national airspace. Greek President Karolos Papoulias rejected Ankara's accusations and called Turkey a "fractious neighbour". The president decided to make Agathonisi, another small Dodecanese island near Farmakonisi, one of the stops on his cross-country tour marking Epiphany celebrations Tuesday. (Ta nea - 06/01/09; Express, Kathimerini - 05/01/09)
Albania condemns violence, calls for calm in Mitrovica
06/01/2009
TIRANA, Albania -- The foreign ministry on Monday (January 5th) urged ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to remain calm and "avoid provocations", following weekend violence in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo. In a statement, the ministry said it is confident that KFOR, the Kosovo Police Service and the EU's EULEX mission are "capable of responding to any threat to Kosovo's security". The main opposition Socialist Party (SP) also condemned the violence in Mitrovica. SP Secretary for Foreign Relations Arta Dade said "The Serb minority has to understand that its European future lies within the state of Kosovo."
Separately Monday, Serbian President Boris Tadic urged the UN and the EU to strengthen measures guaranteeing the security of Serbs living in Kosovo, describing them as the most "vulnerable" part of the population there. He also accused the international forces of failing to react adequately to the latest string of incidents in Kosovo's north. In his note to the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Czech presidency of the EU, Tadic said "I insist that international community representatives should raise the level of security, which is their responsibility, and should prevent attacks against Serbs." (AFP, Klan, Alsat, Top Channel, Top News, RTS, Beta, B92 - 05/01/09)
Kosovo allocates financial aid for damages in northern Mitrovica
06/01/2009
PRISTINA, Kosovo -- The government allocated 100,000 euros Monday (January 5th) for owners of property torched during weekend ethnic unrest in northern Mitrovica. Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci said the measure is aimed at prompting the owners to reopen for business. Welcoming the move, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo leader Ramush Haradinaj urged the government to strengthen the police presence in the Serb-dominated north to prevent future incidents between Albanians and Serbs. He wants to open permanent police substations there. (Koha Ditore, Zeri, Kosova Sot, Express - 06/01/09; RTK, Telegrafi - 05/01/09)
Turkey seeks international monitoring group for Gaza
06/01/2009
ANKARA, Turkey -- Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Monday (January 5th) called for the establishment of an international monitoring group to ensure a viable solution to the conflict in Gaza and said Turkey is willing to contribute to such a mission. "We think that any solution should be guaranteed by the international community and there is a need for a group of international monitors for any solution to be sustainable,'' Babacan told a joint press conference with visiting Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem.
Also Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with his Russian, British and Italian counterparts Vladimir Putin, Gordon Brown and Silvio Berlusconi to discuss Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza. They also discussed problems in delivering humanitarian aid to the region. Erdogan briefed them on his Middle East tour last week, aimed at ending the violence in Gaza. (Vatan - 06/01/09; Anadolu news agency, AP, Hurriyet, Zaman, NTV, CNN Turk - 05/01/09)
BiH to send small military contingent to Afghanistan
06/01/2009
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- The tripartite presidency announced plans Monday (January 5th) to send a small military contingent to join the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan later this year. A total of ten officers will join the German and Danish contingents in the country. "The decision, which is subject to approval by the parliament, will be another step to Euro-Atlantic integration," a joint statement noted. (AFP, Xinhua, Dnevni Avaz, Fena - 05/01/09)
SNS denies it wants to join Serbian cabinet
06/01/2009
BELGRADE, Serbia -- The country's newest party, the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) -- formed by former Serbian Radical Party deputy leader Tomislav Nikolic -- has no plans to participate in a possible government shuffle, Nikolic said on Monday (January 5th). He added the party prefers to remain in opposition. There is growing speculation about possible government changes due to deteriorating relations between G17 Plus and its government partners. G17 Plus clashed with the Democratic Party and smaller parties first over the 2009 budget and later over an energy sector co-operation agreement signed with Russia in late December, which G17 Plus says is detrimental to Serbia. (B92 - 06/01/09; Beta, RTS, Blic - 05/01/09)
Bulgarian customs officers seize 35.5kg of heroin
06/01/2009
SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Customs officials seized 35.5kg of heroin Monday (January 5th) in a car with Dutch plates whose driver allegedly planned to cross into Serbia and continue to Western Europe. Authorities arrested the driver, a Turkish national, after confiscating the drugs in his possession at the Kalotina checkpoint on the Bulgarian-Serbian border. Police seized a total of 1.1 tonnes of heroin in Bulgaria last year. (Darik, Standart, Makfax, MIA - 05/01/09)
Greek police link attack on policeman to leftist terror group
06/01/2009
ATHENS, Greece -- Police said on Monday (January 5th) that a weapon used to shoot a young policeman in central Athens led investigators to the leftist terror group Revolutionary Struggle. Early Monday, gunmen opened fire on riot policemen, seriously wounding one of them. Tests showed Revolutionary Struggle had used one gun in April 2007 to attack a police station, police said. The extremist group emerged after police dismantled the leftist terror group November 17 in 2002. Revolutionary Struggle also claimed responsibility for an attack on the US Embassy in Athens in January 2007. Monday's attack raised fears of a resurgence of leftist terrorism, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility. (Ethnos, Eleftheros typos, Ta nea, Vima - 06/01/09; Kathimerini, In.news, Naftemporiki, ANA-MPA, AP, Xinhua - 05/01/09)
Series of traffic accidents claim lives in Albania
06/01/2009
TIRANA, Albania -- This first week of the New Year has been treacherous along some roads in Albania. According to media reports Monday (January 5th), 21 auto accidents have killed two people and injured 28 others, eight critically. Authorities say the accidents were mainly alcohol-related. (Shqip - 06/01/09; Top Channel, Alsat, News 24 - 05/01/09)
