Diplomatic Diary: Serbia, Slovenia discuss closer ties

02/02/2010

The leaders of Serbia and Slovenia discuss economic co-operation and investments. Also in diplomacy: Cyprus talks are to continue, while Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki says his country seeks better relations with Greece.

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor visits Belgrade on Friday (January 29th). [Getty Images]

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor paid a surprise visit to Belgrade and met with Serbian President Boris Tadic late Friday (January 29th). According to Slovenian media, the visit was aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries with the main topic being Slovenian investments in Serbia. They also discussed Serbia's chances to join the EU.

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Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat decided on Wednesday (January 27th) to extend the second round of their ongoing intensified talks on the reunification of the divided island in an effort to achieve progress. UN chief Ban Ki-moon began a three-day visit to the island Sunday.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi arrived in Cyprus on Saturday (January 30th) for a three-day official visit at the invitation of counterpart Marko Kyprianou. Yang met with President Demetris Christofias and Parliament Speaker Marios Garoyan. Discussions focused on bilateral ties, relations between the EU and China and international issues of common interest.

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Following a meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Friday (January 29th), Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said his country supports reforms in Turkey, which it wants to see in the EU. Erdogan said that despite some attempts to block Turkey's accession bid, his government will continue to work towards the goal. He and Borisov signed an agreement to speed up work on the Nabucco gas pipeline project.

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Macedonia will propose improvements in bilateral relations with Greece, Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki said in Ljubljana on January 26th after talks with Slovenian counterpart Samuel Zbogar. Milososki said Skopje will propose an initiative on avoiding double taxation with Greece, as well as raising the level of existing liaison offices to embassies in Skopje and Athens and the opening of a new border crossing. Zbogar said he hopes the long-standing border dispute will be resolved during the Spanish EU presidency, which ends in June.

In Strasbourg, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on January 26th that the time has come to resolve the name fight with Macedonia. He said the solution should be acceptable both countries and that if the issue is satisfactorily resolved, Athens would support Skopje's efforts to join the EU and NATO.

(Various sources -- 27/01/10-02/02/10)