Dialogue for de-escalation of Turkey-EU tensions

At a video conference Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan, European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed resolution to improve EU-Turkey relations and overcome regional conflicts. Turkey seeks dialogue and negotiations, President Erdogan said, underlining that reciprocal steps are needed to preserve the momentum gained in lowering tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey also wants the holding of a regional conference on the Eastern Mediterranean with the participation of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Sabah newspaper writes. According to the Greek Ethnos, Erdogan wants EU visas for Turkish citizens, a customs union with the EU, more money for refugees and joint exploitation of the Aegean with Greece.

After agreement with Kosovo, Serbia in anticipation of American investments

The next round of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on 28 September in Brussels is in question because of obstructions by Pristina, Таnjug agency writes. The summit between the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and the Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, scheduled for the same date, is also being called into question.

Talking to Reuters, Aleksandar Vučić described the Serbia-Kosovo agreement in Washington as a big step in the right direction, but a long way from political normalisation. At a meeting with a group of investors from USA visiting Belgrade, headed by special envoy Richard Grenell, Vučić stated that thanks to their investments Serbia would have the highest growth rate in Europe. American investments in infrastructure projects alone are expected to reach USD 3.7 billion, Minister of Transport, Construction and infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović said. 

North Macedonia PM and President request autocephaly for Archdiocese of Ohrid

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev has sent a letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In it Zaev reiterates his request that the Macedonian Orthodox Church be recognized as an autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid, the news agency of North Macedonia MIA reports.

President Stevo Pendarovski has also sent a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew requesting that the Archdiocese of Ohrid be accepted into the family of Orthodox churches as equal. The autocephaly of the Macedonian church, declared in 1967 with the blessing of the President of Yugoslavia Josip Tito, is contested by the Serbian Patriarchate to this day.

Bulgaria and North Macedonia argue over voivode Gotse Delchev

“It is in our own interest to have Sofia as a great friend. It is in our interest to have close relations, to gain a deeper insight into our treaty of friendship, which means to deepen the economic, trade, tourism, culture, environment, security  dimensions,” said Nikola Dimitrov, Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia in charge of European Affairs in an online conference on EU accession organized by the Societas Civilis Institute, BGNES reports.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced he would be paying a visit to Sofia before 10 November for negotiations with his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov on the Gotse Delchev controversy, a matter the joint commission on historical issues is unable to resolve, the BNR reports, citing the North Macedonia MIA news agency.

Pensions controversy in Romania as local elections approach

The Romanian government is contesting the changes to the state budget at the Constitutional Court, after the opposition succeeded in putting through parliament a 40% increase in pensions. The government is proposing an increase of 14%. The Foreign Investors Romanian Development Coalition which brings together the biggest Romanian employers also criticized the 40% increase, stating it is unrealistic.  The National Bank of Romania declared that the rise in pensions and some salaries in the state sector will bring about the biggest deficit in years, 11% of the GDP. Observers note that the populist move comes on the eve of local elections due in Romania on 27 September, the local ziare.com writes.

EU, together with Greece, to run reception refugee camp on the island of Lesbos

After fire destroyed Moria refugee camp the European Commission announced it wanted to create a new reception centre for migrants on the island of Lesbos, to be run jointly with Greece, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports.
“We will set up a joint pilot with the Greek authorities in Lesbos for the management of a reception centre,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. A dedicated taskforce will be established to improve the situation on the island in a durable way.
Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos, where 12,000 migrants lived in dire conditions, burnt down two weeks ago. Around 10,000 people have been moved to a temporary tent camp.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov