Diplomatic Diary: Solana kicks off regional tour

14/07/2009

The EU security chief is in Belgrade. Also in diplomatic news: a US congressional delegation visits BiH and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Serbia.

EU security chief Javier Solana (left) met with Serbian President Boris Tadic on Monday (July 13th). [Getty Images]

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana was in Belgrade on Monday (July 13th), the first leg of his three-day visit to the region. During his stay in Serbia, Solana met with President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and other government officials. On Tuesday, Solana travels to Macedonia to meet Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. Later in the day he is expected in Pristina for talks with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. On Wednesday, he wraps up the tour in Montenegro.

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New Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor will meet with Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor this month, local media reported Sunday (July 12th). No details on the exact timing have been revealed but the meeting will be held in Croatia. Pahor has voiced optimism that the talks will provide an opportunity for a breakthrough in the long-standing border dispute between the two countries.

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Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) tripartite presidency assured visiting US congressional members Russ Carnahan, Mike Turner and Lynn Woolsey on Sunday (July 12th) that EU and NATO integration are the country's top priorities. The US delegation also met with High Representative Valentin Inzko. They agreed that local leaders must continue to work towards creating an efficient and effective state that is able to meet its domestic and international obligations.

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Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu urged Macedonian authorities not to delay the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with his newly independent state, local media reported on Sunday (July 12th). Sejdiu was in Macedonia to attend the opening ceremony of the 49th Ohrid Summer Festival, along with Albanian President Bamir Topi.

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US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg says bilateral issues should not be an obstacle to the Euro-Atlantic integration of Balkan countries. Steinberg held talks with Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki on the sidelines of the regional summit in Dubrovnik last week. He expressed hope that Macedonia and Greece will soon compromise on their name row.

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Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has postponed a planned visit to Belgrade due to an apparent dispute over the agenda, Serbian media reported on Friday (July 10th). The trip was scheduled for July 21st.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Serbia on Friday (July 10th), where he met with his counterpart Vuk Jeremic. He also travelled to Novi Pazar, where he spoke with local authorities and leaders of the biggest Bosniak parties -- the Sandzak Democratic Party's (SDP) Rasim Ljajic and Party of Democratic Action (SDAS) leader Sulejman Ugljanin.

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Albanian police and the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) will step up co-operation, police chief Ahmet Prenci said on Monday (July 13th) after meeting with SOCA Director-General Bill Hughes. They discussed joint efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime. Hughes pledged SOCA will provide assistance to Albanian police in the form of training and partnership projects.

(Various sources -- 07/07/09-14/07/09)