Member states of the United Nations

Ukraine's neighbor Romania has offered to mediate between Kiev and Moscow, with the country's President Traian Basescu proposing to lead those negotiations.

The New Europe Bridge, previously known as the Danube Bridge 2, has increased commodity turnover between Bulgaria and Romania.

Bilateral trade between the two countries now exceeds EUR 3B. Romanian export to Bulgaria grew by 9%, and Bulgarian export increased by 6%, Romanian Embassy counselor Victor Dediu revealed Thursday, Bulgarian Standard News reports.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski believes that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should have a leading role in the solution of Ukraine's financial problems.

Oresharski told journalists in Brussels that the EUR 11 B financial package proposed by the EU was sufficient at this stage.

The EU cannot plug the holes in Ukraine's economy, according to Bulgarian socialist MEP Ivaylo Kalfin.

Speaking at a meeting with Bulgarian journalists in Brussels, Kalfin argued that Ukraine could get assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the IMF was the body which could solve the country's immediate problems.

KOPAONIK - Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday that he wishes Ukraine and its people to recover from the crisis, and that Serbia will be constructive and provide assistance if necessary.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Tuesday during talks with Azerbaijani Minister of Economy and Industry Shahin Mustafayev that investment in production is the only way for Serbia to emerge from the crisis.

BELGRADE - First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that Serbia's goal is to achieve the Austrian model of state governance, but noted that for that to happen, the country has to work hard for years and decades and change many things.

BELGRADE - The Coalition of Refugee Associations stated that the meeting between Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and his Croatian counterpart Vesna Pusic leads to further enhancement of the two countries relations, but it also warned that mutual respect would not be possible without first finding a fair solution to open issues.

VIENNA - Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has told Tanjug that he is visiting Belgrade with a message that the future of all Western Balkan countries is in the EU and that Austria will continue to strongly support their European integration efforts.

EU nudges western Balkans toward economic reform

Improving the financial climate will attract investment, the Union said. In other business news: Bulgaria and Macedonia seek more funding for Corridor 8.

The EU believes that financial reforms will mean a better business climate and greater economic prosperity in the western Balkans. [AFP]