Foreign relations of Croatia

Photo: kremlin.ru

Austrian Balkans expert and former high representative for Bosnia Wolfgang Petritsch says that "foreign influences in the Western Balkans are overestimated."

Austrian Balkans expert and former high representative for Bosnia Wolfgang Petritsch says that "foreign influences in the Western Balkans are overestimated."

According to him, Serbia, as the most important country in the region, "sees its future in the EU." In his statement to APA, Petritsch said that the countries of the Western Balkans "must be evaluated individually."

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro issued an ultimatum to Croatia on Monday, demanding that it revokes its decision to raise fees on imports of fruit and vegetables in one week, or face counter-measures.

TRIESTE - The 4th Western Balkans Summit in Trieste, held as part of the Berlin Process, concluded late Wednesday with the signing of the Transport Community Treaty.

Reporting about the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste, German newspaper Die Welt writes that "the EU wants to create a new mini-Yugoslavia in the Balkans."

This is according to Croatia's Index website, that said the summit brought together "the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as the leaders of Germany, France and Italy, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic."

Wednesday's summit in the Italian city of Trieste is expected to focus on financial programmes, a customs union and common market, but also the so-called 'Marshall Plan for the Balkans' - a German scheme to use EU funds to finance large-scale infrastructure projects in the region.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic says the European Union (EU) is a partner of Serbia, while Russia is its friend.

Belgrade's strategic goal is to join the EU, while it is "deeply committed to close and friendly relations with Russia," Brnabic has told the BBC, adding that her country was "trying to maintain balance at a challenging time."

The new US administration has not yet formulated a policy towards the Western Balkans, and the European Union is running out of "carrots" to motivate the Balkan countries in the implementation of reforms, and again European integration, with Russian obstructions, still remains the best way for the region - US analysts said on Monday on the panel "Western Balkans - Delicate Balance" at the Woodr

The EU's annual Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, released June 15, says terrorists are still joining the conflict in Syria from the Balkans, which remains a route to and from the conflict zones in the Middle East.

More than 800 foreign terrorist fighters have travelled to Syria to join the armed conflict there from the Western Balkans, it says.

European deputies might call on the European Commission to reinstate the visa regime for US citizens, reported Ekonomik.bg.

The purpose is to encourage Washington to abolish visas required for the citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania.