Vienna

The Vienna Philharmonic did its best to give a troubled world a soothing start to 2018 on Jan. 1 with its traditional New Year's Concert, broadcast live in over 90 countries.

VIENNA - European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn says the 2025 date for potential EU accession of some Balkan candidate countries is a realistic, but ambitious goal.

The president of the European Commission has said 2025 is a potential accession date for some candidates - that is realistic, albeit ambitious, Hahn said in an interview with Vienna-based Kurier daily.

Seventy-five years ago today, during the German occupation of Greece, began the destruction of the historic Jewish cemetery of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city.

VIENNA - Serbia has a good chance of joining the EU by 2025, says Franz Schausberger, the European Commission's special adviser for candidate countries, in particular the Western Balkans.

* By Alexander Billinis

When we consider key communities of the Greek diaspora, Vienna rarely comes to mind. Yet if we are to consider historically significant communities for modern Hellenism, the Austrian capital should certainly be on the short list.

Austrian airlines have not allowed a sick Bulgarian child and his family to board a plane to Vienna where the child should have been admitted for treatment. The case was reported by the Bulgarian doctor Radina Denkova, who was on the same flight, says 24chasa.

VIENNA - Serbia needs to balance between the EU and Russia, says Reinhard Krumm, head of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Regional Office for Cooperation and Security in Europe in Vienna.

"Serbia has the possibility to balance influence and opportunities to get the best for itself," Krumm told Tanjug and EuropeanWesternBalkans.com.

Tanjug file photo, M. Jelesijevic

VIENNA - Serbia's Acting PM and FM Ivica Dacic, who is on a two-day visit to Austria, said in Vienna on Friday he would once again highlight the Serbian policy of peace, stability and reforms, aimed at ensuring the country's soonest possible EU accession.

BELGRADE - Following the successful Vienna Economic Talks - Belgrade Meeting 2017, the Serbian Association of Economists (SES) and the Vienna Economic Forum (VEF) on Monday signed a memorandum on long-term cooperation.

BELGRADE - Serbia could be Europe's gateway to the Chinese market as it has brokered "an excellent position" in its cooperation with Beijing, says renowned Vienna-based lawyer Gabriel Lansky.

With a skilful policy - as seen at the Belt and Road summit - Serbia has managed to secure an excellent position, said Lansky, a Vienna Economic Forum Board member.