Europe

Both Ukraine and Turkey have little to no chance of joining the European Union, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said, in a joke that laid bare the tough road both countries would need to follow to join the 28-member bloc.

Controversial campaign "pitches Serbia as 3rd world country"

BELGRADE -- "Invest in Serbia - a country with qualified, yet cheap labor" is the essence of an ad broadcast on CNN, paid for by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS).

The daily Blic writes that the campaign that has drawn the ire of trade unions is jointly financed by "Invest in Serbia."

VIENNA - By a decree of Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Gordana Popovic, a Negotin, Serbian-born scientist, has received a senior order of the Republic of Austria.

She became the first Serbian woman to be awarded the Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, established in 1887.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports Vanja Udovicic said during a meeting with newly appointed Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade Tim Cartwright Monday that Serbia was a leader in the use of financial resources of the European Youth Foundation (EYF).

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta stressed on Monday that the meeting he had with visiting European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen at Victoria Palace (the Govt's offices) earlier in the day had gone very well and had focused on unveiling the new 315 billion euro investment plan announced by the EU executive's chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

BELGRADE - The Third Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European countries , which will open in Belgrade on Tuesday, will be an opportunity to promote bilateral and economic cooperation between participating countries.

On the opening day of the summit in Belgrade, Serbian officials expressed optimism that the country would benefit from stronger economic ties with China.

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The governing body of Bulgaria's State Agency for National Security (DANS) has opposed the plans of the government to amend the DANS Act.

The Socialists, who are part of the Serbian government led by Aleksandar Vucic's Progressive Party, re-elected Dacic by acclamation at their party congress on Sunday in Belgrade.

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Bulgaria faces ecological crisis as the only two rendering plants in the country are about to stop functioning.

The reason behind the step is the fact that the contracts of the two plants with the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency have not been renewed.