Balkans

PRISTINA - Over 9,000 Serbs voted mainly for the Serbian list in the recent Kosovo elections.

A total of 12,990 ballots arrived from central Serbia, of which around 9,500 ballots passed the second ring of examination, the Frankfurt-based Serbian language daily Vesti reported.

BELGRADE – Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic met with the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, in Belgrade Wednesday.

The officials discussed activities of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release.

The barricade over the river Ibar in Mitrovica - the most potent symbol of division in Kosovo between Serbs living in the north and Albanians in the south - was taken down late on Tuesday.

The road over the bridge was finally open to traffic on Wednesday after tons of stones and sand were removed overnight.

The Kosovo government said it welcomed the removal of the barricade.

BELGRADE - Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said on Tuesday the accusations from the Belgrade press that he intended to place the Serbian media under his control were not directed against him, but against Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, and Vucic responded that the Serbian government was stronger than those who wished to topple it.

The Kosovo Police and prosecution plan to interview two more witnesses who were present in the “Haja Petrol” restaurant in Rahovec/ Orahovac, where Pista was shot in the back several times during the early hours of Sunday morning.

Investigators still remain in the dark about hard information that could lead to the killer.

"Crucially different views on dual citizenship"

BELGRADE -- Serbian FM Ivica Dačić and his visiting Montenegrin counterpart Igor Lukšić said on Tuesday the two countries should focus on the search for mutual interests.

BELGRADE - Serbia sees Montenegro as an important regional partner on the path of European integration, Serbian Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic said in the talks with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Igor Luksic on Tuesday.

BELGRADE - The delegation of the School for Professional Development of the Italian police which is staying in Serbia on a study visit will exchange experiences with representatives of the Serbian Ministry of Interior, National Assembly, as well as operative and training units of the Serbian police.

BELGRADE – The new British Ambassador to Serbia, Denis Keefe, has presented his letters of credence to President Tomislav Nikolic, saying that Britain remains one the most ardent advocates of EU enlargement into all countries of the Western Balkans, including Serbia.

The ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, and the recently established coalition between the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK and Nisma per Kosoven [Initiative for Kosovo] are still at loggerheads over who has the right to form a new government.