Τρίτη 26 Οκτωβρίου 2010

Diplomatic Diary: Montenegro's Djukanovic visits Macedonia


26/10/2010
Montenegro and Macedonia look to boost ties. Also in diplomatic news: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Helsinki, and EU President Herman van Rompuy takes a regional tour.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic was in Skopje on Friday (October 22nd), where he met with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanovski and other senior officials. A bilateral agreement signed during the visit envisions boosting co-operation in the fields of social insurance, education, technological development and economic ties.
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Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said on Sunday (October 24th) that Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic is expected to visit Croatia next month. Vukovar Mayor Zeljko Sabo said recently that a visit by Tadic would be very important to the town's residents.
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The Republic of Kiribati has recognised Kosovo as a state, becoming the 71st country to do so, the foreign ministry announced on Monday (October 25th). Kiribati has expressed readiness to establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo and start co-operation in politics, trade and economy. Kiribati is an island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean.
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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is not satisfied with the pace of Ankara's EU membership talks. "No other country has been kept waiting for so many years," Erdogan said after an October 20th meeting with Finnish counterpart Mari Kiviniemi in Helsinki.
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Serbian President Boris Tadic and visiting Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov praised the level of bilateral relations and voiced mutual support for their countries' EU bids on October 20th. They said that despite Belgrade and Skopje's differences regarding the Kosovo issue, the two countries are willing to deepen their cultural and economic co-operation and become an example of regional co-operation.
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Macedonian President Gjeorge Ivanov began an official visit to Estonia where he met with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and Parliament Speaker Ene Eergma. Estonian officials reiterated their support for Macedonia's Euroatlantic integration and said bilateral disputes should not stall EU and NATO accession.
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EU President Herman van Rompuy called on all key players in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to focus on political reforms related to the EU perspective. After talks with members of the tripartite presidency and High Representative Valentin Inzko, van Rompuy deplored the lack of progress but vowed that the EU will remain actively engaged in the country. During his Balkan tour, van Rompuy also travelled to Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.
(Various sources -- 19/10/10-26/10/10)
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.

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