So far the intensification of political contacts has not been accompanied by the dynamic influx of Chinese investment which the region’s governments expected.

President Basescu announced in a TV interview that following its accession to NATO and the EU, Bucharest’s new major political project should be unification with Moldova.

Russia, capitalising on Serbia’s dependence in the energy sector, forced Belgrade to accept unfavourable rules for the implementation of the investment.

Russia has used the construction launch to demonstrate that it will not relinquish at least partial implementation of the project.

The way in which the election was held clearly proves that an intergovernmental deal will not solve the problems of the Serb community in northern Kosovo.

On 28 October, work started in southern Romania on installing elements of the US missile defence system. It is failure of Russian security policy.

According to the Bulgarian deputy prime minister and interior minister Tsvetlin Yovchev, from January to the end of September this year the number of illegal immigrants detained at the Bulgarian border increased sevenfold in comparison…

A number of incidents have been seen over the past few weeks in Kosovo’s communes inhabited by the Serb minority. A Lithuanian police officer died as a consequence of firing on a column of the EU’s mission, EULEX; the family of Oliver…

On 15 September, the centre-left government led by Edi Rama won a vote of confidence in the Albanian parliament. The takeover of power by Rama’s coalition put an end to the political career of Sali Berisha, who had played a key role in…

Protests in Romania against the plans to launch a gold mine in the Transylvanian commune Rosia Montana have been mounting  over the past two weeks. The Save Rosia Montana campaign has been the most rapidly developing Romanian protest…