Four countries along Corridor № 8 turn the format into a political platform

In Svevo Castle in Brindisi, the foreign ministers of Italy, Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia said that transport corridor No. 8 should be integrated into the Baltic-Adriatic route of the Trans-European Transport Network of the EU. Antonio Tajani, Mariya Gabriel, Olta Xhaçka and Bujar Osmani pointed out at a joint press conference that the European Corridor No. 8 has a strategic importance for the stabilization of the Balkan region and military mobility within NATO and the EU. The ministers agreed to establish the format as a political platform for dialogue and cooperation and decided to hold their second meeting in Bulgaria soon. Corridor No. 8 should connect Varna-Burgas-Sofia-Skopje-Tirana and Durres with a sea connection to the ports in Italy - Bari and Brindisi, brindisireport.it writes.

Russian strikes along the Danube, just a kilometer away from Romanian-Ukrainian border

A Romanian ship was damaged on July 24 during a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian Danube port of Reni, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reported. The vessel has suffered minor damages. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis warned that security in the Danube and the Black Sea is at risk. The navigable channel of the Danube Delta and the natural border with Romania, close to Moldova, is located near Reni. The region is important for the export of Ukrainian grain. "Romania will continue to support Ukraine in finding practical solutions for the further export of grain to the world markets," Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the attack with Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu and assured Bucharest that the US will defend every inch of NATO territory, digi24.ro reports.

Kosovo remains far from reconciliation

The Police in Northern Mitrovica appointed 45 Serbs as police officers. The Serbian channel BunkerSrb published on Telegram the photos and names of newly arrived police officers with insults towards them. EULEX Head of Mission Giovanni Barbano has expressed his worries at the negative campaign against Serbs in the police station in Kosovo. The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi said that the country would not schedule new local elections in Serbian municipalities in Kosovo before the EU lifted the punitive measures imposed on Pristina, "FreeEurope" reported. Bislimi was outraged on Twitter that during a football match against the Italian team of Fiorentina, in the presence of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the supporters of Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) unfurled a banner reading: ‘When will the army return to Kosovo?’.

Turkey to extradite 1 million illegal migrants

Turkey has so far returned 600,000 illegal migrants to their countries of origin. We expect the number to reach 1 million or about 240,000 families. "We will neither compromise our security, nor disturb our citizens. We will resolve this issue in accordance to our culture, faith, empathy and sense of justice," Turkish President Recep Erdogan said. In a speech to graduates of Ankara's police academy, he said police had tightened control in cities against illegal migrants. The authorities extradite those involved in crimes and violation of public order. In 2023, 36,000 migrants were caught involved in various offenses. Erdogan added that 16,000 of them have already been sent back, BTA reports.

The traditional Perast Cake is now a protected culinary product of Montenegro

The Perast Cake from the town of Perast is now the 11th protected Montenegrin product and the second with a label for a guaranteed traditional culinary specialty, the country's Ministry of Agriculture has reported. They call the cake “the queen of Boka Kotorska Bay”. The Perast Cake is an intangible asset closely related to the region, which is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the cultural and historical area of the Bay of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "The cake is juicy and aromatic. The dough is made from egg yolk, sugar, butter, white wine, ground biscuits, lemon juice, flavorings and grated lemon peel, and the filling contains egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, cherry-flavored liqueur," mina.news has reported.

Compiled by: Ivo Ivanov