Montenegro

Montenegro's Economy Ministry said on Wednesday that the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce rejected the case for compensation brought by Oleg Deripaska, owner of the Central European Aluminium Company, CEAC.

A pro-Serbian bloc in Montenegro says Serbs are discriminated against and wants the constitution changed. The bid looks doomed to fail, however.

The Bulgarian economy is ranked 49th in the global competitiveness ranking according to the World Economic Forum (CIF) ranking. In 2019, Bulgaria climbs two positions in the prestigious ranking, comprising 141 countries worldwide. The country's score is 64.9 points.

Serbian Orthodox bishops have voiced concern for the image of the Church after their leader, Patriarch Irinej, on Tuesday handed President Aleksandar Vucic a prestigious award for the "great deeds" he had done for Serbia and Kosovo.

A group of 14 bishops said in a letter to the Patriarch sent the same evening that they feared the reputation of the Church might be tarnished.

Montenegro's Prosecutorial Council decided on Tuesday that Ivica Stankovic should remain the country's acting Supreme State Prosecutor because no one has applied to be his successor.

The European integration of the Western Balkan countries will strengthen the European Union and consolidate peace, solidarity, prosperity in the Balkan region, Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Viorica Dancila stated at the signing event of the Joint Declaration on the integration of the Western Balkans countries in the EU.

Montenegro's Appeal Court has told a local court in the country to make a new ruling on a Turkish extradition request for Gulenist movement member Harun Ayvaz, who is wanted in his home country for alleged terrorism offences.

The enlargement of the European Union into the Western Balkans is one of his priorities, the EU's incoming foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Monday.

A big question, however, is whether opening EU accession talks, or even eventual membership, will actually persuade young and skilled women and men to stay in the region.

The answer gets more complicated when the Western Balkan six — Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia — are compared with neighbouring Croatia.

Predrag Milincic is a market director of Mars Bulgaria and also of the other countries from the region - Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. Before joining the team of the food producer he worked for Coca Cola for 15 years. Predrag Milincic holds a master degree on management from Sheffield University.