Southeastern Europe

BELGRADE - Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto will meet with senior state officials of Serbia during his visit to Belgrade on Thursday.

Szijjarto will meet with Serbia's President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, the office of the President and the government of Serbia said in a release.

NATO praises Montenegro military reforms

Defence reforms in Montenegro lauded as the country moves closer to NATO accession.

The NATO Military Committee, the Alliance's highest military authority, praised military and institutional reforms in Montenegro, which is hoping to receive an invitation for membership in the western military alliance next year.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports Vanja Udovicic said Thursday in Kosovska Mitrovica, commenting on the announcements that Kosovo will be granted full membership in the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that this would set a precedent in international sport, considering that Kosovo is not a member of the United Nations.

BELGRADE - Serbia needs to save up five percent of costs for public sector salaries in 2015 as was previously agreed in the talks with the mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Kori Udovicki said on Wednesday.

"State borders cannot be crossed with Kosovo-issued IDs"

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- Marko Đurić has said that Serbia's state borders cannot be crossed using identity documents issued by the unrecognized and self-declared state of Kosovo.

"No danger of Moscow's influence in Balkans"

BERLIN -- Brussels-based analyst Dušan Reljić says there is "no danger of Moscow applying political or military pressure on former Yugoslav republics or Albania."...

German businessmen want to reach Russia through Serbia

Unlike official Berlin, who demands that Serbia takes a clear stand toward Moscow, German businessmen are against Serbia's introducing sanctions on Russia. On the contrary, they want to export their goods to Russian market through Serbia.

"Serbia ready for chapter on Kosovo"

BELGRADE -- Serbia is ready for Chapter 35 of the EU accession talks, which refers to Kosovo, chief Serbian negotiator in EU membership talks Tanja Miščević has said.

She added that the decision on whether to open the chapter will be up to the EU member states.

BELGRADE - Serbia is ready for Chapter 35 of the accession talks with the EU, which refers to Kosovo, and the decision on whether to open the chapter will be up to the EU member states, head of the Serbian team for the talks Tanja Miscevic has said.

"Dialogue with Pristina is a requirement and we are ready for that and for Chapter 35," she told the daily Danas from Belgrade.

BELGRADE - Serbia is ready for Chapter 35 of the accession talks with the EU, which refers to Kosovo, and the decision on whether to open the chapter will be up to the EU member states, head of the Serbian team for the talks Tanja Miscevic has said.

"Dialogue with Pristina is a requirement and we are ready for that and for Chapter 35," she told the daily Danas from Belgrade.