Europe

Romanian President Traian Basescu said at the presidential Cotroceni Palace late on Sunday that he 'categorically' disagrees with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, who had said on Saturday Russia could shortly conquer Bucharest.

Twelve warships from NATO and other countries are to stage naval exercises, known as Sea Breeze, in the Black Sea.

Hosted by Ukraine, the drills are led by the US.

The maneuvers are held on an annual basis (and have been since 1997) and are not related to the developments in Ukraine and its standoff with Russia.

The head of the Lustration Commission, Tome Adziev, said he hoped that an agreement on the exchange of classified files with Serbia will allow access to the secret files of some prominent Macedonians which are now believed to be stored in Belgrade.

The agreement on data exchange was signed in February and is awaiting ratification in the Macedonian parliament this month.

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Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced Moscow could restrict the movement of foreign flights in its airspace if new sector sanctions are introduced against the country.

"If there are sanctions related to energy [or] further restrictions to our financial sector, we have to respond asymmetrically," Russian agency ITAR-TASS quoted Medvedev as saying.

Turkey should prioritize expanding freedom of speech to achieve improvement in its bid to join the European Union, according to Neelie Kroes, the vice president of the EU Commission.

Turks have little trouble finding fellow countrymen wherever they travel, and the volcanic island just below the Arctic Ocean is no exception.

Iceland has a Turkish community of around 50 people, who have come together and founded an association to introduce Turkish culture both to their children and Icelanders.

EU, region to work together towards accession

The recent EU conference in Berlin showed that the Union will work to get the Balkans as part of Europe, officials said.

The EU wants the southeast European region to join Europe, analysts said, which was made clear at the recent Union conference in Berlin.

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LOZNICA -A commemoration was held at Mt. Gucevo near Loznica, western Serbia, on Sunday for the fallen in the 1914 Battle of Drina, in which members of the Serbian military tried to prevent the second Austro-Hungarian invasion of the Kingdom of Serbia.

On behalf of the Serbian government, Minister of Veteran Affairs Aleksandar Vulin laid wreaths at the memorial ossuary.

Bulgaria's GERB party will not succumb to revanchism if it wins the elections, leader Boyko Borisov said in his speech at the launch of the party's election campaign, Sunday.

Bulgaria's GERB party has launched its election campaign in Sofia's Arena Armeets hall in front of some 14,000 party members and supporters, Sunday.

GERB leader Boyko Borisov, deputy chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova entered to the sound of 'O sole mio', Focus news reports.