Croatia

OPATIJA - Ministerial conference on contemporary challenges in regional police cooperation, attended by Serbia's outgoing Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, started on Tuesday in Opatija, Croatia.

On the fringes of the conference, Dacic also conferred with Simonetta Sommaruga, Swiss Federal Minister of Police and Justice.

The United Nations has recommended that people who fled the 1991-95 war in Croatia should no longer have refugee status now the country has joined the EU.

Balkan energy companies explore regional, EU markets

EU membership means entering a large, liberalised energy market, and regional companies need to prepare, experts say.

Croatia's INA has been expanding its oil exploration activities domestically and offshore. [INA]

ZAGREB - Headquarters for the Defense of Vukovar, a right-wing organization campaigning against official use of the Serbian Cyrillic script in Croatia, announced on Thursday that it will tour the country to convince the citizens that the referendum on bilingualism is neither unconstitutional, nor contrary to the position of the European Union.

Hearings in Croatia-Serbia genocide lawsuits conclude

THE HAGUE -- The hearing concerning the mutual charges of genocide between Croatia and Serbia held before the International Court of Justice was completed on Tuesday.

Balkan countries train together for ISAF

Joint preparation contributes to regional co-operation and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Croatia and Montenegro troops work together in a training exercise. [NATO]

Soldiers from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia and Montenegro are working together to join the NATO mission in Afghanistan (ISAF).

THE HAGUE- The hearing concerning the mutual ćarges of genocide between Croatia and Serbia held before the International Court of Justice and referring to the 1991-1995 war was completed on Tuesday.

The Croatian team replied to Serbian claims by saying that Croatia's Operation Storm had not been a genocide and asked the court to reject Serbia's countersuit.

BELGRADE - The leader of the Coalition of Refugee Associations Miodrag Linta announced on Tuesday that he will request that UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres reject the Croatian initiative aimed at rescinding the refugee status of Serb expellees, adding that this would be the final act of the ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Croatia.

Zagreb told the International Court of Justice that Belgrade’s claim that Croatia committed genocide against Serbs during the 1991-95 war “lacks any basis” and cannot be proved.

"Dispute does not close door to reconciliation"

THE HAGUE -- With their genocide dispute before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Serbia and Croatia have not closed the door to the reconciliation.

This was heard from the head of Serbia’s legal team, Saša Obradović.