Balkan press review

In the spotlight: Emmanuel Macron's very political tour of Moldova and Romania

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, center, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visit Irpin, near kyiv, June 16, 2022 AP - Ludovic Marin

Text by: Simon Rico Follow

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The French president went to Romania then to Moldova before going to kyiv on Thursday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

to prepare the ground for the European Council on 23 and 24 June, and to sell his idea of ​​a “European political community”, in other words a multi-speed Europe.

On Wednesday, the Albanian and Montenegrin prime ministers

, a first for leaders from the Western Balkans.

At the same time, the Serbian head of state, Aleksandar Vučić,

former head of the Ukrainian intelligence services, when he tried to cross the border into North Macedonia.

In his BMW sedan, the police found 600,000 euros and 125,000 dollars in cash.

Belgrade has not yet indicated anything about his possible extradition.

Serbia, which still refuses to align itself with Western sanctions against Moscow, has also made available to the Belarusian national football team the stadium in Novi Sad, the big city in the north of the country,

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UEFA requires Belarus to play its international matches on "neutral ground" and behind closed doors because of its support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This decision would have “no political connotation” nevertheless assures the Serbian football federation.

Tensions in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey

The Russian invasion of Ukraine also has repercussions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Many have raised the possibility that the country, still deeply divided since the end of the 1992-95 war, constitutes a second front.

Especially at a time when the Serbian entity was taking the path of possible secession.

After three months of fighting on the Ukrainian front, it seems rather that this conflict has contributed to curbing the separatist tendencies, not only of the Serbs, but also of the Croats.

After a semblance of calm, the rag is burning again between Athens and Ankara.

In question, this time, the demilitarization of the islands of the Aegean Sea, very close to the Turkish coast.

While the war in Ukraine is raging, NATO is annoyed and calls on the two countries, members of the Alliance, to reason.

The Balkans, the first access route for exiles to the EU

Since the beginning of 2022, the “Balkan route” 

for irregular migrants.

According to Frontex, the European Border Guard Agency, the increase in crossings is +167% compared to last year.

Despite the violent and massive repressions of the local police.

Two weeks after taking office, Robert Golob sent a strong message: the Slovenian Prime Minister announced

against refugees on the Croatian border, deeming it "inhuman and useless”.

In lack of manpower, Romania has been issuing visas to workers from Asia since 2017.

At the end of the trip, merciless exploitation and the risk of falling into illegality at the end of their contract and then being expelled without the possibility of appeal.

Early marriages in Bosnia and Albanian-Montenegrin regional cooperation

They were sold or promised to a husband by their family when they were not 18 years old.

And nothing has changed in the last ten years for the minors of the Bosnian Roma community.

However, laws exist and associations are fighting to prevent future generations from suffering the same fate.

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Albania and Montenegro will jointly build a bridge over the Bojana/Buna river.

This work of art, 310 m long, should link the seaside towns of Ulcinj and Velipojë in Albania from 2024.

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, the two countries look forward to it.

With his sweaters and thick mustache, Vasil Tupurkovsky was a major figure in the final act of the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

Representing Macedonia in the collegial presidency, he tried to the end, if not to save the Federation, at least to prevent war.

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