Cities in Europe

BRUSSELS - EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell will convene a high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels on Monday, February 27, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced on Friday.

In a statement, it said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Pristina's PM Albin Kurti had confirmed their participation.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had a telephone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday to exchange views on the current situation in the region, Serbia's European perspective, reforms on the EU path and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Hill pointed out that it is important that Belgrade has been very constructive in terms of engaging on the European plan with Pristina and that this will ultimately affect the pace by which Serbia moves toward the West.

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic has called for Thursday, February 2, a special parliament session on a Report on the Talks Process with the Interim Self-Government Institutions in Pristina from September 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023, tabled by the Serbian government.

Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic has failed to report to Serbia's Agency for the Prevention of Corruption a villa he bought in 2018 in Trieste, which he was obliged to do by law, BIRN can reveal. The villa is located in Opicina, some five kilometres from Trieste city centre.

ANKARA - Serbia would like to see Turkey as a major stability factor in our region, Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday in Ankara after a meeting with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, appealing to Turkey to use its leverage on Pristina in terms of implementation of the Brussels Agreement.

The new management of the Antonis Tritsis Park in the western Athens suburb of Ilion will be offering local residents who are having trouble making ends meet small parcels of land where they can grow their own vegetables.

Mayors from 44 Balkan cities have arrived in Athens to attend the second gathering of the B40 Balkan Cities Network on Monday and Tuesday.

During Monday's session, the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, who hosted the network's inaugural meeting on November 29-30 1921, will deliver a report on the year of the presidency and transfer the presidency to Athens mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.

Residents enjoy a sunny day in Voutie Park in the hip central Athens district of Ano Petralona, on Thursday, after it was treated to a facelift. The City of Athens planted more trees and shrubs in the roughly 5,000 sq.m. park, installed new benches and improved the paths and lighting, as part of a bigger scheme to spruce up the capital's parks, many of which have fallen into neglect.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received German ambassadors to the region and officials of the Berlin government, including special Western Balkans envoy Manuel Sarrazin, in Belgrade on Friday.