Russia

Bodies of workers killed in Siberia fire arrive in Serbia

BELGRADE -- An aircraft from Moscow carrying the bodies of six Serbian construction workers who died on the Yamal peninsula in Russia landed in Belgrade late on Wednesday.

The workers died in a fire in an oil station construction site's sleeping quarters in early February.

BELGRADE - An aricraft from Moscow carrying the bodies of 6 Serbian construction workers who died in a fire at a construction site on Siberia's Yamal peninsula in early February landed in Belgrade on Wednesday.

The fire broke out in the construction site's sleeping quarters during the night.

"No easing of sanctions until Minsk deal is implemented"

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the situation in Ukraine by telephone on Thursday.

They "stressed they would keep up sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis."

BELGRADE - U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Michel Kirby has said that it has been discussed that Serbia should introduce sanctions against Russia, but this does not mean that something like that needs to be done.

This pressure means that we have talked about this, but this is not the same as when you have to do something. This does not mean an automatic and intense pressure, Kirby said.

"NATO's bombing no obstacle to cooperation" - FM

BRUSSELS -- With the signing of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), Serbia "entered a new phase in relations with NATO," said Ivica Dacic and Bratislav Gasic.

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will plead with European counterparts at a summit in Brussels Thursday to release vital funds to help his debt-laden country stave off a looming cash crunch.

Albania reaffirms commitment to NATO

The LIC 33 group, comprising investors from the EU, is acquiring control of Bulgarian telecommunication operator Vivacom and other leading companies in the country, dnevnik.bg reported on Wednesday.

LIC 33 will acquire majority stakes in Vivacom and other Bulgarian companies, according to the news daily. The names of the other companies weren't disclosed.

Russia and South Ossetia on Wednesday signed a Treaty on Alliance and Integration that calls for forming a common defence and security space between Moscow and Georgia's breakaway region.

Alternate Defense Minister Costas Isichos told Russian media that he plans to ask authorities there to allow the Greek state access to archives pertaining to the destruction of infrastructure by Nazi forces during World War II.