Severe thunderstorms caused widespread destruction in the Balkans last week, with high winds and golf ball-sized hail damaging over 100 buildings in Slovenia and Croatia. Meanwhile, Hong Kong issued a black rainstorm warning due to heavy rainfall and flooding, and France is experiencing an unusual heatwave.
Le Monténégro a refoulé 87 Serbes, considérés comme des "gros bras", arrivés par un vol charter de Belgrade, portant des équipements de communication et des banderoles pro-Vucic, deux jours avant un sommet UE-Balkans avec Macron et Merz.
A 15-year-old song by Bosnian band Dubioza Kollektiv, originally about the immigrant experience, has become an unofficial anthem for the Bosnian national football team after their World Cup qualification. The band released a new version with football-themed lyrics.
EU leaders gather in Montenegro to accelerate Western Balkans enlargement, citing geopolitical imperatives amid Russian and Chinese influence, with Montenegro leading candidate nations.
Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz und Präsident Emmanuel Macron initiieren schnelle EU-Einbindung für Westbalkanstaaten wie Montenegro und Albanien mit schrittweiser Integration und Beobachterstatus
Emmanuel Macron encourage le Monténégro à achever les réformes pour rejoindre l'UE en 2028, promettant un soutien français, lors de sa visite historique au Monténégro.
EU leaders gather in Tivat to reaffirm commitment to western Balkan enlargement, focusing on integration into the single market, despite internal EU divisions and geopolitical pressures from Russia and China.
Deutschland und Frankreich initiieren eine neue Initiative, um den EU-Beitrittsprozess für sechs Westbalkan-Staaten zu beschleunigen. Die Pläne sehen schrittweise Integration und Belohnung von Reformen vor.
France and Germany are calling for a new "structured gradual integration" process for EU candidate countries, offering earlier benefits and closer ties before full membership. This initiative aims to reinvigorate the enlargement process ahead of upcoming EU summits.
European Council President Antonio Costa urged speeding up the EU membership process for six Western Balkan countries, calling enlargement a key geopolitical investment. Leaders will discuss improving methodology at an upcoming summit, aiming to boost trust and avoid frustration, though Costa stressed it won't be easier.
Montenegro feiert den 20. Jahrestag seines Unabhängigkeitsreferendums. Premierminister Spajic setzt auf schnellen EU-Beitritt 2028, während Experten wie Zlatko Vujovic und Veselin Radulovic skeptisch sind und auf Korruption und organisierte Kriminalität verweisen.
French President Emmanuel Macron will make a historic visit to Montenegro on Thursday, ahead of an EU-Western Balkans summit. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties, sign infrastructure and energy agreements, and discuss defense cooperation and combating disinformation.
TÜGİAD is working to open its fourth branch in the Balkans and aims to contribute to Turkey's $30 billion export volume. The 2026 G20 YEA Summit will be held in Vienna, Austria, instead of the US, following lobbying efforts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accuses the US of trying to push Russian companies like Lukoil and Rosneft out of global markets, including Africa and the Balkans, to take over their business, particularly Rosneft's cooperation with Venezuela.
Russia urges the West to cease interference in Bosnia and Herzegovina, demanding the immediate closure of the High Representative's office to achieve true sovereignty for the country, adhering to the Dayton Agreement.
La Russie réclame la fermeture de ce bureau créé par les accords de paix de Dayton. Cette réclamation a été communiquée par l’ambassadeur russe Vassili Nebenzia lors d’une réunion du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU sur la situation dans le pays des Balkans.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko accused the West of waging a political, diplomatic, and psychological war against Russia in the Balkans to contain Russian influence. In an interview with Vesti, he stated that Western governments are spreading false narratives about Russia's presence in the region, claiming it would spell the end of the EU. Grushko emphasized that Russia has been present in the Balkans for centuries and will remain, noting that history, geography, traditions, and sympathies cannot be changed.
The EU has intervened in a Bosnian pipeline project, warning local leaders that awarding a no-tender contract to a company fronted by Trump-linked figures could jeopardize the country's EU integration path.
