Croatia

SOFIA - Serbia will be in the same pool of the 2015 Men's European Volleyball Championship preliminary round with Russia, Slovakia and Finland, a draw in Sofia has decided.

"Ustasha snake doesn't sleep" - Croatia's ex-president

ZAGREB -- Croatia's now former president has spoken about the results of his term in office and the situation in Croatia, saying that "the Ustasha snake does not sleep."

The Ustashas were in power in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) - a WW2-era Nazi-allied entity responsible for running death camps.

Against a background of American disapproval, a major Russia-Croatia economic forum and investment conference started in the Russian capital on Tuesday, gathering 200 Russian and 100 Croatian companies.

The conference opened a day after the EU on Monday broadened sanctions on Russia to include an additional 19 Russians and Ukrainians and nine more Russian companies.

SARAJEVO - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Monday that relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo were good and he expected them to continue improving, adding that it was clear that relations were getting better throughout the region.

The jury and the audience of 'Countdown To Vienna', Serbia's televised national final to choose the country's representative at Eurovision, voted on Sunday evening for Stamenov to go to Austria to compete in May.

Stamenov, a popular local soul, funk and jazz singer, also reached the final of the Serbian televised competition 'I Got Talent' in 2012.

"Relations with Bosnia good, expected to improve" - PM

SARAJEVO -- Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has said that relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo are "good" while their improvement "is expected."

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Monday that the Serbian government had received a counteroffer from US steel firm Esmark late on Sunday and the revised offer would be discussed today.

Grabar Kitarovic urged Croatians to unite to solve the country's problems as she was inaugurated on Sunday at a ceremony on St Mark's Square in Zagreb's old town.

"There is nothing we cannot achieve when we are united. I believe in you, my country Croatia," she said in her speech at the inauguration.

ZAGREB - The meeting between Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic was cordial and open, Mladen Pavic, spokesman for Croatia's head of state, has told Tanjug.

Alaattin Bayraktar, General Vice President of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Confederation of Business Women, has vowed substantial investments in Balkan states in 2015.