Herzegovina

US Homeland Security Adviser Herbert McMaster has held a meeting with the foreign ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

The four Balkan countries that are members of the European Union - Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Croatia - will help together for the European integration of the other six countries in the region.

The agreement will be signed by Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, the Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Reports BNT. 

Some 35 reporters from the Balkans and across the world gathered on Monday in the historic resort city of Dubrovnik in Croatia for the eighth BIRN Summer School Master Class on Investigative Journalism.

The Croatian government said on Thursday that it will revoke controversial Ordinance on the Increase of Import Taxes that threatened to lead to a trade war between Zagreb and neighbouring Balkan countries.

Croatia recently adopted new rules that increased fees for inspections of fruit and vegetable imports from 12 euros to 270 euros.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia sent a joint letter to the European Commission on Wednesday, complaining about Croatia's imposition of so-called non-tariff barriers which hamper their exports of agricultural products to the country.

American Vice President Mike Pence praised Montenegro's NATO membership as a "historical achievement" during a meeting with Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic in Podgorica on Wednesday.

"NATO is made up of big and small states, but the US does not have small allies," Pence said, adding that his visit illustrates the US' support for the Western Balkans.

Wednesday's summit in the Italian city of Trieste is expected to focus on financial programmes, a customs union and common market, but also the so-called 'Marshall Plan for the Balkans' - a German scheme to use EU funds to finance large-scale infrastructure projects in the region.

BELGRADE - Platinum Wolf 17, an international military exercise aimed at improving interoperability and mutual understanding among partner armed forces at tactical level in operations for supporting peace in a multinational environment, began at Base South on Monday, the Serbian Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

New Balkan Coal Plants 'Will Pollute Environment' from BIRN on Vimeo.

Almost none of the new coal power plants planned in the Western Balkans will meet new, stricter European Union pollution standards, according to a new analysis by CEE Bankwatch Network, released on Tuesday.