Croatia

NOVI SAD - Third Serbia called on Croatia on Sunday, requesting release for young Serbs arrested in Vukovar, and appealed the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request for it to react adequately and address to the EU and UN institutions and ask them to try and exert influence on Croatia.

Croatians cast ballots Sunday to elect a president in a tight run-off between incumbent centre-left Ivo Josipovic and conservative Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, both pledging to help kickstart the newest EU member's ailing economy.
      

ZAGREB - We will support Serbia on its EU path, but it needs to fulfil all the conditions Croatia fulfilled in the process, Croatian President and presidential candidate Ivo Josipovic said on Sunday.

Incumbent president Ivo Josipovic, who is supported by centre-left government parties, and his challenger Kolida Grabar Kitarovic, the candidate of the centre-right opposition Croatian Democratic Union, both had words of warning for EU hopeful Serbia during the debate on Nova TV on Thursday evening.

Croatian presidential candidate on conditions for Serbia

ZAGREB -- A Croatian presidential candidate has said that she would condition Serbia's EU membership path "with the return of the missing persons from the (1990s) war."

With the second round of the presidential elections scheduled for Sunday, the race between incumbent, Ivo Josipovic, and the centre-right challenger, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, has entered its last days.

Both candidates made the final pitch for swing voters as polls predict the gap closing between them.

Balkan countries strengthen military co-operation through US-Adriatic Charter

Kosovo will continue to participate in the Charter as an observer.

Representatives from the US-Adriatic Charter countries met in Tirana last month. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania]

The Bureau of the Black Sea Association of National News Agencies strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Paris against the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo.

Photo credit (c) ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS / REUTERS

DOHA - World's best tennis player Novak Djokovic did not manage to qualify for the Doha ATP semifinal as he lost the quarterfinal match on Thursday to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta says his governments brought the rate of utilization of European funds from 7 percent in May 2012 to 52 percent; the target for 2015 is 75-80 percent of the available structural and cohesion funds, he declared on Thursday.

Photo credit: (c) Cristian NISTOR / AGERPRES PHOTO