Kosovo
YUGOSLAVIA 30 YEARS ON: Historical conflicts hold region’s EU future to ransom
North Macedonia not expected to get green light for start of accession negotiations at this week’s EU Council meeting, while Bosnia and Kosovo have yet to achieve candidate status.
IMF says Kosovo’s GDP growth depends on vaccine rollout and diaspora travel
IMF expects growth in 5-6% range in 2021, but warns growth prospects are "uncertain".
Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo fail to make progress in normalisation dialogue
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says there was nothing the two sides could agree on at meeting with Kosovan PM Albin Kurti.
International banking groups look to expand in Central and Southeast Europe despite pandemic
International banking groups remain committed to the region, with their strategies tilted towards expansion or stability despite the coronavirus pandemic, EIB survey shows.
Rethink of global supply chains creates opportunity for Western Balkans
Region is ideally positioned as a nearshoring destination for West European companies but reforms are needed if it is to attract potentially billions of euros in foreign direct investment.
European commissioner confirms €30bn EU investment plan for Western Balkans
Plan will only be effective if region works together Oliver Varhelyi tells summit marred by verbal clash between prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo.
US to impose sanctions against individuals who destabilise Western Balkans
Executive order signed by US President Joe Biden shows Washington's increased engagement and no tolerance for corruption in the Western Balkans.
Kosovo’s PPI inflation speeds up to 2% y/y in 1Q21
After falling for most of 2020, PPI inflation returned to the level last seen in the first quarter of 2019.
Western Balkans do better than eastern EU members on LBGTI rights
Montenegro has the best legal and policy environment for LGBTI people in the emerging Europe region, ILGA-Europe's latest Rainbow Europe Map shows.
Regional leaders urge EU to speed up enlargement for entire Western Balkans
Presidents of Croatia, Slovenia and aspiring EU members from the Western Balkans say enlargement is a "geopolitical necessity".
Slovenian President Pahor supports EU enlargement of entire Western Balkans
Ahead of Slovenia's 6-month EU presidency Borut Pahor says only entry of all six countries to the bloc would provide peace and stability in the region
Money laundering pushes up property prices in Western Balkan cities
Real estate and construction sectors are being used to launder illicit money from the drugs trade and migrant trafficking, leading to a hike in prices, says Global Initiative report.
Free electricity in northern Kosovo allows bitcoin mining to flourish
The number of miners and cryptocurrency investors in Kosovo have increased in recent years as the value of bitcoin started to rise rapidly in 2017.
CONFERENCE CALL: Losing the Western Balkans
The EU’s slow and sometimes confusing response to the coronacrisis in the Western Balkans made room for China to increase its influence.
Commissioner Varhelyi brings first EU-donated vaccines on Western Balkans tour
Tour of the region is also aimed at supporting the Western Balkans countries’ EU integration processes.
Mystery deepens over second ‘non-paper’ raising tensions in the Western Balkans
France and Germany deny reports they wrote controversial non-paper on Kosovo recognition.
Subdued recovery expected in Western Balkans after pandemic ended a decade of progress
The Western Balkans countries can expect only moderate growth between 2021 and 2023 as the damage caused by coronavirus pandemic will continue to depress investments and employment, a World Bank report warned.
Climate change to amplify border tensions in Southeast Europe
OSCE report identifies border hotspots across the region where rising temperatures and more extreme weather events risk adding to border tensions.
British, Bosnian software developers form joint centre of excellence
Manchester-based anti-money laundering software company SQA Consulting and Luxembourg based ABC TECH Group set up SQA Consulting SEE in Bosnia, that will create 175 new jobs.
M&A hits €8.5bn in CEE in Q1, says Mergermarket
Trend towards bigger deals and more fund investment continues, as deal value rises by half to give best Q1 since 2013.
