Latest News from Croatia
Turkey grants visa exemptions to four EU nations, Norway
Turkey announced on Feb. 27 it will provide citizens of four EU countries and Norway, 90-day visa exemption for tourist travel.
Fencing: Ilinca Pantis wins bronze medal in sabre at the European Junior Championship in Croatia
Romanian Ilinca Pantis (CS Riposta) won the bronze medal in the women's sabre event on Thursday at the Cadet and Junior European Fencing Championships in Porec (Croatia).
Social Media a Help and Hindrance in Balkan Coronavirus Fight
Serbia has no confirmed cases of coronavirus yet, but on Tuesday a WhatsApp voice message began doing the rounds on social media claiming several people had already died from the virus in the capital, Belgrade.
"Doctors are strictly forbidden to talk about the virus," the woman is heard saying on the message, which was published on several Serbian news portals.
North Macedonia confirms first case of coronavirus
North Macedonia has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus infection, diagnosed in a woman who recently returned home from Italy, the health minister said on Wednesday.
"The patient tested positive for coronavirus... She is the first patient in North Macedonia to have tested positive for this pathogen," Venko Filipce said, adding that the patient was in a stable condition.
Spanish Police Charge Balkan Football Agent With Financial Crimes
Media reports say the manager of Serbian Real Madrid football player Luka Jovic, and his associates, have been charged with money laundering and offences against the public purse in Spain.
Abdilgafar Fali Ramadani, the German-born Macedonian manager of Jovic, oversaw his transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Real Madrid for 60 million euros in 2019.
The second case of coronavirus confirmed in Croatia
The brother of a boy, who was diagnosed with coronavirus yesterday after returning from Milan where he and his girlfriend were at the Champions League game, got infected, "Jutarnji list" reports, citing Minister Beros' confirmation.
The girl was confirmed to be negative for the coronavirus.
The EU Decides within Days whether to Start Membership Talks with Tirana and Skopje
The foreign ministers demanded rapid integration in the Western Balkans.
Within a few days, the EU will decide whether to start membership talks with Northern Macedonia and Albania. This was made clear during a meeting between the foreign ministers of Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and representatives of the European Commission in Thessaloniki.
Future of Western Balkans lies in Europe, Greek FM tells conference
"The Western Balkans are an intrinsic part of Europe and the European Union's enlargement policy is its most powerful tool for ensuring stability and security in the region," Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told a high-level conference in the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Monday.
Torched Effigy of Gay Couple Causes Outrage in Croatia
The Croatian President, government ministers, LGBT rights groups and the Ombudsperson on Monday all condemned the burning of an effigy of a kissing same-sex couple and their child at a Dalmatian carnival, calling it a hateful act. The image was torched at Sunday's traditional carnival in the small town of Imotski in the Dalmatian Hinterland.
Turkey Offers an Initiative for Cooperation between the Turkish and Bulgarian Police to Secure the Borders more Effectively
Turkey is preparing an initiative for cooperation between the Turkish and Bulgarian police in order to secure the common borders more effectively, Aksam newspaper said. Common border patrols for border protection can be formed, the newspaper added. Turkey has negotiated such an initiative with Serbia.
Greece’s neighbors and EU expansion
The foreign ministers of European Union candidate countries in the Western Balkans will meet in Greece's northern port city of Thessaloniki on Monday. The foreign ministers of EU members Croatia (which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency), Romania and Bulgaria will also be present.
Bulgaria - One of the EU Countries with the Highest Shares of Total Revenue from Environmental Tax
In 2018, environmental tax revenue in the European Union (EU) totalled €324.6 billion, a 3% increase in nominal terms from the previous year and 49% higher than in 2002, Eurostat reported.
Energy taxes accounted for the largest share (77.7%) of the EU's 2018 environmental tax revenue, followed by transport taxes (19.1%), and pollution and resource taxes (3.3%).
PM Borissov: No Country that Adopts the Euro Becomes Poorer or Weaker as a Result
"The sustained growth of GDP for years, the financial stability, the discipline of Bulgaria is highly appreciated by the European Commission." Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who is Brussels for the negotiations on the financial framework of the European Union, said.
Croatia Airlines Launches Bulgaria-Croatia Direct Flights from May 1st
From May 1, 2020, direct flights between Bulgaria and Croatia will begin. They will be operated by the Croatian national airline Croatia Airlines.
Flights between the capitals of the two countries, Sofia and Zagreb, will be operated three times a week between May and the end of October 2020. Tickets are already being sold online, according to the Foreign Ministry press service.
University Pumps Fresh Blood into North Kosovo
Some 40 per cent of the entire student body comes from outside Kosovo, with some 30 per cent hurdling the border/boundary from central and southern Serbia, from towns such as Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Valjevo, and Niš. Then there are Serbs from both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively, or students from Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia.