Balkan developments

published on 11/15/24 10:15 AM

Athens plans to modernise the Greek army by 2030

Greece's Defence Minister Nikos Dendias presented the plan for changes in the army to the parties in parliament. The reforms will cover all three branches of the military. By 2030, 33 units that have lost operational value will be closed. At least 6 infantry regiments will be closed. In some of the units scheduled for closure, personnel do not even cover 20% of the staff, and many are seen only as a means of supporting the local economy. One of the border units currently has nothing but a bread oven, reports ekathimerini.com.

The aim is to staff the divisions at no less than 70% of the staff numbers. For the first time, the three-tier air defense is planned to cover the entire airspace of mainland Greece and the islands.

Romania to purchase state-of-the-art military and specialised civil aviation

Romania's Parliament has approved the purchase of 32 US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, Digi24 reported. The deal also includes the supply of engines, ammunition, initial logistics support, continued access to the F-35 global support chain, equipment and services for training crews, support staff, engineering and technical personnel, specialized assistance and the implementation of industrial cooperation projects through technology transfer.

Meanwhile, a private Romanian company has bought a rain-making plane from an American firm, ziare.com reported. The site explains that the technology of "cloud seeding" by silver iodide has so far been used in the country only through rented planes.

Donald Trump appears on posters in Belgrade and Pristina

Posters of US President-elect Donald Trump with the slogan "Make Serbia Great Again" have appeared on the streets of the Serbian capital Belgrade, reports the Croatian edition of n1info.rs television channel. The posters were put up by the conservative Serbian Nashi movement in imitation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. The posters also depict a map of "Greater Serbia" including North Macedonia. With this action, we draw attention to the need for Serbia to regain its deserved position in the Balkans and in the world, and we want to right the historical wrongs inflicted on our people for decades, the movement said, BTA reports.

Posters with the newly elected US President Donald Trump and the call "Make Kosovа Great Again" also appeared on the square in the centre of Pristina, reports kosovapress.com.

Albania will continue its support for the rights of Albanians in Serbia

Albania remains committed to protecting the rights of Albanians in Serbia, Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani was quoted by ATA as saying. He received in Tirana Serbian MP Shaip Kamberi, who is chairman of the Party for Democratic Action in Serbia. Albanian President Bajram Begaj and Speaker of Parliament Elisa Spiropali also pledged their institutional support for the Albanians of the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia.

Begaj added that an Albanian Consulate General is to be opened in Bujanovac and that Tirana stressed in all meetings with representatives of the international community that "the deletion of the address registrations of Albanians in the Presevo Valley must be stopped and the diplomas of graduates from Albania and Kosovo must be recognised, a right which is also guaranteed by the Berlin Process".

Montenegro connects its seaside resorts by ferry to neighbouring countries

The sea link between Budva (Montenegro) and Dubrovnik (Croatia) was very successful last summer season and fully met expectations, Montenegrin Minister of Maritime Affairs Filip Radulovic said, MINA news agency reports specially for BTA. He announced that the line will be reopened next year, starting from the very beginning of the summer season.

Radulovic is convinced that the opening of new ferry lines connecting Montenegrin coastal towns with major tourist destinations in neighboring countries is crucial for both tourism and daily transport because it improves connectivity, speeds up transport and reduces traffic congestion.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov

Photos: dendias.gr, romania.europalibera.org, BGNES, X/ Igli Hasani, MINA