22 Jul 2006

Political and economic cooperation between Serbia and Croatia is improving after war for independence.

Recently Croatia's authorities joined Serbian president Boris Tadic for a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Tesla's birth, the scientist born in the village of Smiljani , in Croatia 's Lika region. That meeting is a signal of renewed relations between Croatia and Serbia.
The two countries relations reached boiling point so many times that the future can only bring about a long period of gradual cooling off.
In fact, political ties between Zagreb and Belgrade have been warming steadily since Croatia 's war for independence from the former Yugoslavia ended ten years ago.
Today the two states have already established a high level of official cooperation. Citizens of both countries can travel across their borders without visas. As a result, Croatia 's Adriatic coast has again become a popular destination for Serbian holidaymakers - those who can afford the greatly increased prices.
The Croatia’s relations are now better with Serbia than they are with Slovenia, it is probably because in peace time they were always closer to the Serbs and because Croats dislike Slovenes. There is an ongoing dispute between the two Adriatic powers (Croatia and Slovenia) over their frontiers in the waters off the coast of the region of Istria .
Croatia and Serbia have rebuilt respectable economic ties since the war. Croatia's trade with Serbia has more than doubled over the past two years, with exports soaring from 172 million US dollars in 2003 to 400 dollars million last year and imports recording similar growth levels.
On July 21, the Croatian Prime minister Ivo Sanader and his Serbian opposite number, Vojislav Kostunica, has met to open a new border crossing in Bajakovo. The opening follows the reconstruction and completion of Croatia 's section of the Zagreb-Belgrade motorway, which was halted by the war.

8 Jul 2006

Macedonia: new coalition government lead by Gruevski (VMRO-DPMNE)

Macedonians handed power to the right-wing VMRO DPMNE in the elections held on July 5th, seen as largely fair and democratic. The VMRO DMPNE leader, Nikola Gruevski, promised to revive the impoverished economy and fight corruption.
But Gruevski may face difficulties ahead in carrying out his programme, due to the fact that he would not enjoy a clear majority in the 120-seat parliament, meaning the party will require coalition partners.
Political analysts are divided over who will be the new government's partner from among the country's large Albanian community. Most agree the new coalition will also be more fragile than previous governments.
The State Election Commission report that only 56.15 per cent of the 1.7 million voters turned out: VMRO DPMNE won 32.46 per cent of cast votes, against 23.31 per cent for the incumbent Social Democrats, SDSM. The New Socials Democrats, NSDP, a splinter party from the SDSM, took 6.1 per cent, while VMRO Narodna, led by the former prime minister, Ljupco Georgievski, gained 6.12 per cent.
Among Albanian parties, the party of former rebels in the 2001 insurgency, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, won 12.24 per cent, while their opponents, the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, took 7.5 per cent.
A major question is whether VMRO DPMNE will stick to its previous Albanian partner, the DPA, or offer an alliance to the DUI, which won far more Albanian votes and has been the partner of the Social Democrats over the past four years.
However, VMRO DPMNE will still need another Macedonian partner if it is to have a stable coalition.
The main candidates for such a coalition are the VMRO NP party of former hard line nationalist Ljupco Georgievski and the NSDP, a splinter leftist party of former Social Democrat Tito Petkovski.
VMRO DPMNE was now entering a long period of tough negotiations to form a government.