887 squares kilometers before integration
887 squares kilometers still left to demine for the Croatian authorities. It’s better than the 6000 ones ten years ago. Of course, the most sensitive area is around the Bosnian border (around 55 squares kilometers). Clearing of mines has cost 151 million dollars, but now, Croatia can pride itself to have the best mines disposal … Lire la suite
Moldova, heaven of hackers
The outcome of the BSA (Business Software Alliance, representing the global software industry) annual study condemned one country in the Balkans: Moldova. According to the report, with Georgia and Zimbabwe, this state, one of the poorest in Europe, would be a heaven for every sort of hacker. Although the rate of hacking has dropped in … Lire la suite
Albania, so far from EU
It will be very hard for Albania to integrate EU in the next few years. One week ago, Prime minister, Sali Berisha, brought back the membership questionnaire. Face up to the tome, he became ironic: “It was the biggest book ever published in Albania”. But, no time to joke. Since last June, government and political … Lire la suite
Moscow-Chisinau: Who won World War II?
Russian medias speak out against Moldovan acting president, Mihai Ghimpu. What’s wrong? His statement that he won’t go to the 65th anniversary of the Russian victory against German troops in 1945. “How can I take part in this parade, next to the army which brought us communism, and which organized famine, and deportations to Siberia?” … Lire la suite
Can Serbia become an “isolated island”?
“Neutrality requires a higher budget, a number of troops, more weapons and modern military equipment. Switzerland, which is always being used as an example of a neutral country, has a respectable amount of the most modern weapons, and there is still a mandatory military service,” said Serbian Defense Minister, Dragan Sutanovac, a few days ago. … Lire la suite
A step to reconciliation
Reconciliation goes through integration. That’s the message the Hungarian, Serbian, and Croatian presidents wanted to promote in an international meeting, this April 16th, in Pecs (Hungary). In 2011, Budapest will lead the EU and it seems to be determined to help its neighbors to integrate the Union as fast as possible. Croatia hopes to join … Lire la suite
The formidable witness
Hard times for Karadzic. The former leader of Bosnian Serbs during wartime must face up to one of the most formidable witness in the Balkans : Ahmed Zulic. This prisoner of the Manjaca camp in 1992-1993, has already managed to get two former Bosnian Serbs agitators (Radoslav Brdjanin, 30 years, and Momcilo Krajisnik, 20 years) … Lire la suite
Serbian PM and the middle way
In an interview for the European channel Euronews, Serbian Prime Minister, Mirko Cvetkovic, said if his country doesn’t want to recognize the Kosovo independance, he doesn’t preclude finding a middle way between this status and the Serbian position known since 1999 (that’s to say: “Kosovo is just a province of Serbia”, despite ten years of … Lire la suite
A sad birthday
Sad birthday in Moldova. One year ago, on April 7th 2009, thousands of protesters were walking down the Stefan Cel Mare avenue, the main street in Chisinau (the capital of Moldova) to contest the election of the Communist Party. Some of them climbed the presidential palace to hoist the Romanian flag (probably they were themselves … Lire la suite
Mladic, the last link
The “Greater Serbia” was a painful concept. A gigantic puzzle whose pieces could not be assembled without tears. Now undoing the puzzle would be more complicated. While the trial of Radovan Karadzic is stumbling, particulary on matters of procedure, where does Ratko Mladic, the butcher of Srebrenica, hide himself? Vladimir Vukcevic, the serbian prosecutor, swore … Lire la suite
