Albania
Opposition protest over Open Balkan Initiative meeting in Tirana, Prime Minister Rama apologized for a new data leak, and President Meta awarded high decoration to Monsignor George Frendo. Democratic Party’s former leader Berisha led a protest against the meeting. Personal identity card numbers, employment, and salary data of some 637,000 people became public. The “Mother Teresa” award receives those who contribute to religious coexistence.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto said his country would veto possible EU sanctions against Serb Presidency member Dodik, SDA’s Izetbegovic stated that the Islamic world would be with Bosniaks if necessary, and the World Bank warned about upcoming economic chaos if the state institutions lose their jurisdictions. Szijjarto asked official Berlin to talk with Dodik about the ongoing crisis. World Bank expressed concern that withdrawing Republika Srpska from the state’s indirect taxation system would mean lower tax collection and uncertainty over the timely repayment of external public debt.
Croatia
The Government offers up to 26,000 euros ($29,000) for returning ex-pats to start a business, the Bridge Party’s Nikola Grmoja said they collected signatures for referendum petitions to transfer Covid-19 crisis management to the Parliament, and Foreign Minister European Affairs Minister Grlic Radman will visit Russia in mid-January. The new “I choose Croatia” scheme aims to attract 350,000 citizens who left the country in the last seven years. The referendum’s success would mark the abolishment of COVID certificates. Grlic Radman would discuss political and economic topics with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.
Kosovo
The Government signed an agreement renting 300 jail cells for Denmark convicts, Taiwan strengthened bilateral relations with the county, and energy distribution company KEDS introduced power cuts due to the energy crisis. The agreement would run for an initial period of five years, with an annual fee of 15 million euros ($17 million) to rent the cells. Both sides established respective parliamentary groups to improve mutual understanding between the people of Taiwan and Kosovo. The shortage comes from low domestic production and high energy import prices.
Montenegro
Deputy Prime Minister of Abazovic commented on a potential non-vote motion on the state budget, the Democratic Front leader Mandic said that his party would not give up on the amendments to the state budget, and Government to cooperate with US civil engineering company Bechtel on Adriatic-Ionian motorway project. Abazovic warned the Government would fall if the budget were not adopted. Bechtel would be in charge of developing the road, rail, aviation, port, agricultural, educational, and defense infrastructure.
North Macedonia
The leader of opposition VMRO-DPMNE Mickoski criticized the new Bulgarian Prime Minister Petkov, SDSM’s leader and prime minister-designate to form the new Government Kovacevski confirmed the appointment of Mile Zecevic as the party’s General Secretary, and the World Health Organization (WHO) about to develop new health equity monitoring system in the country. Mickoski said that Petkov “is a man who is not brave, whose careerism is ahead of European values, and that is disappointing for me.” The country is the first European country to pilot the WHO/Europe Health Equity Policy Tool to inform the national development strategy.
Serbia
The county recorded 1.606 billion euros ($1.823 billion) January-October current account deficit, President Vucic thanked Russian President Putin for a supply of Kornet anti-tank missile systems, and Serbian portal Nova.rs accused Interior Minister Vulin of assisting the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in arresting the Open Russia movement leader Alexander Pivovarov. Last year’s deficit was 1.688 billion euros. Vulin allegedly handed over footage of Russian opposition leaders taped by the Serbian Security Intelligence Agency in Belgrade in May this year to FSB’s Director Nikolai Patrushev.