Herzegovina

Ljubljana – Representatives of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) presented on Wednesday the initiative’s key achievements since June 2020 when Slovenia took over the year-long EUSAIR presidency. The stint at the helm has revolved around green cooperation and environmentally-friendly development.

The Terrorism and Foreign Fighters Database, which was launched on Friday by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, contains comprehensive information about court verdicts for domestic terrorism in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Human and minority rights, the rule of law and media freedom remain endangered in several Southeast and Central European countries in 2020, especially in the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch, HRW, said in its latest report published on Wednesday.

The report looks at over 60 countries, among them Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary and Poland.

A Turkish colonel was appointed as the deputy commander of NATO's Sarajevo base in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey announced on Jan. 8. 

Following the appointment of army Col. Olcay Denizer, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said in a statement that the country's military fulfilled important duties in Bosnia and Herzegovina and noted Sarajevo's efforts to join NATO.

Experts told an online debate hosted by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network on Tuesday that the current regulation systems for online media in the Western Balkans are not good enough, but efforts to curb the publication of hate speech and defamatory comments must not tip over into censorship.

Nineteen organisations from Southeast Europe have joined forces in a newly-established network that aims to advance the protection of digital rights and address the growing challenges posed by the widespread use of advanced technologies in society.

Turkey has completed discussions with 92 countries for resumption of flights, the country's transportation and infrastructure minister said on Aug. 14.  

Turkey continues to operate scheduled and non-scheduled flights with 48 countries as of Aug. 13, Adil Karaismailoğlu said in a press release.

"Montenegro will open its borders with Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Western European countries from tomorrow," Mugosa announced, Cdm.me reports, adding that the epidemiological situation with coronavirus is improving in these countries.

The European Commission has proposed to gradually lift travel ban from July 1 for non-EU citizens coming from countries where the epidemiological situation is the same or better than that in the EU.

The detailed list will be announced later, Ylva Johansson, EU commissioner for home affairs, told reporters on June 11.

The Jabuka border crossing between Serbia and Montenegro has been almost deserted since this morning, according to an RTS reporter.
Montenegro has opened all borders with neighboring countries and Serbia since midnight, but Serbia is still not on the list of countries whose citizens can enter without quarantine or a PC test.