Balkan Legal News - 18 October 2024
- Oct 18, 2024
- 2 min read
The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 10 October 2024 to 17 October 2024.
Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.
Albania – 16 October 2024
First Italian ship containing 16 refugees from Egypt and Bangladesh picked up at sea arrives in Albania, the first under Italy’s controversial plan to ‘offshore’ the processing of migrants to Albania; see here.
Kosovo – 14 October 2024
Kosovo unilaterally announces that it will abolish visas for residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina next year, allowing them to them to entry the country with only their ID cards; see here.
Bosnia – 18 October 2024
Separatist politician, Milorad Dodik’s Alliance of Independent Social Democrats wins big in the elections in Bosnia’s Serb dominated Republika Srpska; see here.
Albania and Kosovo – 14 October 2024
A 0th annual joint between Albania and Kosovo aimed at cooperation between Pristina and Tirana fails materialise for the second year running.
The meetings have taken place annually since 2014, but the 9th meeting was cancelled last year amongst ongoing tensions between leaders Albin Kurti and Edi Rama; see here.
North Macedonia and Bulgaria – 17 October 2024
Following high level talks in Brussels, assisted by the EU, North Macedonia and Bulgaria settle their dispute over a long delayed cross border railway linking the two counties and work resumes. As well as facilitating trade, the line holds important strategic value for NATO; see here.
Croatia – 14 October 2024
Croatia unveils a memorial commemorating war crimes victims from the village of Sortin near Vukovar during its 1991 war of independence from Yugoslavia. Dozens of residents from the village were killed and their bodies discovered in a mass grave 22 years later.
Minister for veterans Tomo Medved made comments complaining about not receiving adequate cooperation from the Serbian authorities in relation to the fate of several other Croatian residents that disappeared during the war; see here.
Bosnia – 15 October 2024
Tributes have been paid to Paul Lowe the respected British photographer who died in California last week. His is best known in the region for his evocative work capturing images of the Siege of Sarajevo which were hugely instrumental bringing the realities of the war to the worlds attention; see here.
