Faced with a European Union procrastinating over Turkish accession, the country's prime minister is threatening to hook up with other global bodies, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Even if it is just a bluff, it reflects growing impatience in Ankara.

Interviewed last July on Turkish television channel Kanal 24, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan half-jokingly referred to his response to Vladimir Putin's teasing question, “But why are you still interested in Europe?” “Well, bring us into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)”, replied the Turkish Prime Minister, “and we'll forget about the European Union.”

Abridged for copyright:  0 Link to original article:  http://dunya.milliyet.com.tr/sanghay-sakasi-ciddi-mi-oluyor-/dunya/dunyayazardetay/30.01.2013/1662092/default.htm

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Milliyet, Istanbul – Faced with a European Union procrastinating over Turkish accession, the country's prime minister is threatening to hook up with other global bodies, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Even if it is just a bluff, it reflects growing impatience in Ankara. See more.

Cover Extract 1 image:  Extract 1 vignette:  Caption date:  31 January 2013 Strap-line:  Banks

The foreign ministers of both countries decided at a meeting in Brussels to accelerate negotiations on settling differences arising from the bankruptcy of Slovenia’s Ljubljanska Banka, which was prompted by the implosion of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. More than 130,000 Croats had accounts with the bank when it ceased trading.

Link to original article:  http://www.novilist.hr/Vijesti/Hrvatska/Problem-Ljubljanske-banke-bit-ce-rijesen-prebijanjem-duga-s-potrazivanjima-slovenske-banke-u-Hrvatskoj

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The foreign ministers of both countries decided at a meeting in Brussels to accelerate negotiations on settling differences arising from the bankruptcy of Slovenia’s Ljubljanska Banka, which was prompted by the implosion of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. More than 130,000 Croats had accounts with the bank when it ceased trading.

The affair, which has poisoned relations between the two countries, is the reason for Slovenia’s refusal to begin ratification of the treaty for Croatia’s accession to the EU, which is slated for July 1 of this year. If Ljubljana does not ratify the treaty by April 1, Croatia’s accession may be postponed.

Cover Extract 1 image:  Extract 1 vignette:  Caption date:  30 January 2013 Strap-line:  Serbia

In a poll published by the daily on January 29, only 41 per cent of Serbs say they would vote in favour of their country entering the EU — the lowest level of support for 10 years, down by 18 per cent on the June 2012 result for the same poll.

Link to original article:  http://www.danas.rs/danasrs/politika/krivci_su_evrokriza_i_srpski_politicari.56.html?news_id=255070

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In a poll published by the daily on January 29, only 41 per cent of Serbs say they would vote in favour of their country entering the EU — the lowest level of support for 10 years, down by 18 per cent on the June 2012 result for the same poll.

In its analysis of the change, Danas singles out a number of factors: the “the economic crisis and the poverty” that have affected Serbia, “the conditions imposed by the EU as part of the accession process”, particularly with regard to Kosovo, “an ignorance of the functioning of the EU”, and “the contradictory messages delivered to citizens by the current and previous governments” in Belgrade.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expresses optimism that the worst of the eurozone debt crisis is over, but trims the 2013 growth forecast for its investment region in the ex-Soviet bloc.

Europe should not worry about bailing out crisis-hit Cyprus because the island's huge untapped gas reserves will benefit the European Union by making it less dependent on Russian energy, analysts say.

Romanian President Traian Basescu refused Friday to confirm the appointment of a new anti corruption prosecutor, seen as key to boosting the country's anti-graft credentials in the eyes of the European Union.

Known mainly for its steelworks, the gritty industrial hub of Kosice in east Slovakia is hard at work reforging itself as a centre of the arts as it enters 2013 with the tag "European Capital of Culture".

Serbia has made enough progress in normalising relations with Kosovo for the EU to look at the possibility of opening accession talks with Belgrade, says EU president Herman Van Rompuy.

The Serbian and Kosovo premiers have agreed to another round of talks under EU auspices after making some progress on expanding a border accord, the European Union said.

Cover Extract 1 image:  Extract 1 vignette:  Caption date:  18 January 2013 Strap-line:  Serbia-Kosovo

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić has met with his Kosovar counterpart Hashim Thaci in Brussels, under the auspices of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton. On Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday morning, the two men concluded an agreement on customs taxes to be charged at the border between their two states. The revenue generated will be used to create a special fund managed by the EU that will finance development in northern Kosovo, which is home to the country’s Serbian minority.

Link to original article:  http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Politika/Dacic.sr.html

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić has met with his Kosovar counterpart Hashim Thaci in Brussels, under the auspices of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton. On Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday morning, the two men concluded an agreement on customs taxes to be charged at the border between their two states. The revenue generated will be used to create a special fund managed by the EU that will finance development in northern Kosovo, which is home to the country’s Serbian minority.

The premiers of Kosovo and Serbia, Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci, met Thursday for a new round of EU-mediated talks aimed at ironing out mutual tensions.

The European Commission warned eurozone aspirant Latvia on Wednesday to guard against growing banking sector imbalances and to closely monitor the identity of non-resident account holders.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Wednesday rejected any possibility of Serbia agreeing to breakaway Kosovo's bid to join the United Nations.

Serbia, which fiercly opposes independence for Kosovo, hinted for the first time on Tuesday that it may give up its opposition to the breakaway territory's bid to join the United Nations.

Bulgaria's top promoter of the region's raunchy pop-folk music genre known as "Chalga" is set to receive some one million euros in EU funding, it emerged Tuesday, sparking an outcry among parts of the cultural establishment.

IMF and EU experts opened talks with Romanian officials on Tuesday on the 2013 draft budget and progress on reforms, seen as crucial for consolidating investors' confidence.