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With proceedings at the international court of justice (ICJ) now firmly under way, the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence is once again under the spotlight. With an advisory opinion expected within the next six months, the outcome of the case will have an important impact on Kosovo's status. Should the judgment favour Serbia, the impetus for further negotiations will continue to grow. Should it affirm the legality of Kosovo's declaration, however, the currently stalled process of recognition will be revitalised.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFqg1rCZUq4 If this doesn't show that liberalism and nazism are the same thing, nothing will. GIVE KOSOVO BACK TO THE SERBS!

...Producer Miodrag Kolaric said that three of the four Belgrades in the United States were known to have been settled about 200 years ago by railroad workers from Belgrade, Serbia.....Curiously, Belgrade is the only southeastern European city other than Athens to have engendered namesakes in the United States, Kolaric said. He could not find a Sofia (from Bulgaria), for example, or a Zagreb (Croatia).....

Talk about partitioning Kosovo remains taboo. Almost everyone officially rejects the idea - the Albanians, the Serbs (in both Serbia and Kosovo), and the EU and U.S. However, only the Albanians probably really mean it and only if it applies to carving out pieces of “their” Kosovo and not so much as it might apply to the partitioning of Kosovo from Serbia. The Western Europeans and U.S. stand against partition arguing that Kosovo is a unique case and maintaining that Kosovo is and can be a flourishing multi-ethnic democracy. (Some EU members, and perhaps some in EU Brussels, may actually...

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS - The International Justice Court, which regulates controversies between nations for the UN, began this morning to examine at the Hague the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia. Before the UN court, until December 11, Serbia, Kosovo and 29 nations will appear. The court's ruling will arrive in coming months. Kosovo proclaimed independence on February 17 2008. Until today, 63 countries have recognised its independence as a former Serbian province with a population that is for the most part Albanian. In the EU, 22 of 27 nations have recognised the scission. Serbia has always...

* JAT facing increasing competition from outside airlines * EU visa ruling eases travel from Belgrade * Sharp increase in passenger traffic seen next year BELGRADE, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Serbia's state airline JAT must become competitive or fade away, officials said this week, after the European Union relaxed travel between Belgrade and the bloc, prompting rivals to step up penetration of its home market. After years of bolstering by the government and protection against outside competitors, the stakes have increased dramatically for JAT following the EU's decision on Monday allowing Serbs, Macedonians and Montenegrins to travel visa free to...

BELGRADE -- The governments of Russia and Serbia are in negotiations to build a nuclear power plant in Serbia, the Russian ambassador to Belgrade says. "The construction of a nuclear power plant in Serbia is being given serious consideration," Aleksandr Konuzin was quoted as saying this Monday. He stated that Serbia wishes to export electricity, and added that the country has the resources to do so. "Russia is prepared to help Serbia with this intention through partnership and joint investments," the Radio-Television of Vojvodina (RTV) reported. Konuzin reminded that Serbia had recently reached agreements to build hydro plants with Germany...

In the peak-time slot every Saturday evening on TV in Skopje, Atanas Pcelarski explains the meaning of words from the world of Classical Antiquity in modern Macedonian. “Macedonia is the source of the world. Languages, themes about God, religion, the legal system, they all stem from Macedonia,” he declares. The Macedonia of Classical Antiquity and the modern republic are one and the same. Pcelarski is one of many who insist on a direct link between the world of Alexander the Great and the Macedonia of today. A growing obsession with the warrior is only part of a controversial debate about...

The European Parliament is scheduled to give Wednesday the 'green light' on annulment of Schengen visas for Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro as of December 19, Slovenian MEP Tanja Fajon, who prepared the visa liberalization report for Western Balkan countries, told MIA. Fajon said she was certain that the European Parliament would adopt the report, including Slovenia's proposal for annulment of Schengen visas on December 19 instead of the European Commission proposal of January 1. "I believe it is very realistic to expect that citizens of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro will be able to travel freely in the EU as of...

28 November 2008 – According to news flash which appeared in today’s edition of the Journal du Dimanche, the French Minister for Immigration, Eric Besson will sign a bilateral readmission agreement with the Kosovo authorities during a three-day-visit to the Balkans. Only a week ago, the same newspaper announced the imminent conclusion of a bilateral readmission agreement between France and Serbia. In exchange, the French minister promised to support the adoption of visa facilities for the citizens of Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia during the next meeting of the European Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which will take place in Brussels, on...

The perplexity of Serbia's leaders is understandable. Nearly nine years after they hustled Slobodan Milosevic off to the Hague to face war crimes charges and the end of his life in a jail cell -- a middle-of-the-night act with questionable legal authority that met with much applause from the West -- Serbia's "democratic reformers" remain smeared with the tar of Washington's former policy delusions. They get no respect, even after holding democratic elections, remaking their economy on a Western model with more vehemence than most of the rest of the Balkans combined and slavishly doing almost all that the West...

Bosnia’s gradual disintegration would appear inevitable. The only question is how the international community will, and should, react to this process. A new state – “Republika Srpska” - is shortly to be born in South Eastern Europe, the eighth to emerge from the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. The delivery of this troubling new child will be neither easy nor straightforward. People may die, and diplomatic isolation may follow. The choices the international community makes in the aftermath of these events will be critically important to the welfare of all the people of the region. For Western policymakers it will...

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Half a million people from Serbia and neighbouring countries attended the funeral on Thursday of Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle, who presided over the revival of the faith after decades of communist rule. Pavle's departure could pave the way for a more moderate leader, although many bishops take a hard line on Kosovo, the cradle of their medieval Orthodox Christianity which declared independence last year. Pavle died at the age 95 on Sunday. Serbian police estimated at least 500,000 people lined the streets and main church along the 11 km (7 miles) route to the final resting place...

BELGRADE, Serbia — Belgrade's open-air markets were a welter of busy customers on Friday, pushing and shoving to buy one item — garlic. In Serbia, garlic has long been regarded as a good luck charm and a guard against many ailments. As far as the public is concerned, that includes the swine flu pandemic, which recently has spread in Serbia and triggered near panic among the local population. That is now evident in Belgrade's produce markets, where the price of garlic has shot up, thanks to a sudden increase in demand. The smell of the little white cloves also has...

SINGAPORE - Looking to tread terrain still untouched by foreign stag expeditions? Want to unwind in luxury or drink up the sun? Lonely Planet lists the world's top 10 party cities in its new guide, the “1000 Ultimate Experiences.” 1. Belgrade, SerbiaThe long years of bad press that kept Serbia off the map have now passed, and foreigners are now realizing what locals always knew — that Belgrade really rocks. With an exuberant population and its legacy as an intellectual hangout, Belgrade offers varied nightlife, ranging from eclectic watering holes for those in the know, to the busy restaurants and...

When the man destined to become the 44th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church was conceived in the the winter 1913-1914, horses and steam moved the world. That world appeared ordered and stable. The calamities of the 20th century – two world wars, revolutions and civil wars, genocides and expulsions, and the suffering of tens of millions of Christian New Martyrs – could not be foreseen. In the Old World the Serbian nation, although divided into two small kingdoms and two mighty alien empires, the Habsburg and the Ottoman, appeared vigorous and full of hope for the future.....

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Pavle has died. He was 95. Pavle, who has led the church since 1990, has been hospitalized for months. He had heart and lung problems. The church said he died Sunday morning. A respected theologian and linguist also known for personal humility and modesty, Pavle took over the church leadership just as the collapse of communism ended years of state policy of repressing religion. He had headed the church during the turbulent years of the Balkan wars in the 1990s and the collapse of former President Slobodan Milosevic’s regime in 2000. Bishop...

BELGRADE, Serbia — Patriarch Pavle, who led Serbia's Christian Orthodox Church through its post-Communist revival and called for peace and conciliation during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s, died Sunday. He was 95. There have been reports of an internal struggle over who would succeed Pavle, a respected theologian and linguist known for personal humility and modesty. The favorite is influential Bishop Amfilohije, a hard-liner known for his anti-Western and ultra-nationalist stands. The seven-million member church said its highest body, the Holy Synod, could announce Monday when Pavle's successor will be chosen. At least 40 days must pass after Pavle's...

The patriarch passed away at 10:45 CET on Sunday, at Belgrade's military clinic VMA, where he had been treated since November 2007. The bells of the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel are tolling today 15 minutes before each full hour to mark the passing. The patriarch's body is expected to be moved to the Patriarchy in Belgrade during the day. The Holy Synod is expected to meet on Monday morning. Metropolitan Amfilohije confirmed the news, and said that the patriarch received his communion this morning, after which "his holy, Christ-loving heart stopped beating". The spiritual leader of the...

Inevitably, some extraordinary security measures were taken in Kosovo's capital in connection with William Jefferson Clinton's recent visit. The former president of the United States undertook a long journey to the middle of the Balkans in order to take a look at his own figure standing twelve feet above the rest of humanity. There could be little doubt that those extraordinary measures added additional tension in the life of the current and former residents of the area. Let's clear up a possible confusion: many of the current Albanian residents of Pristina live in the houses of the former Serbian owners...

BELGRADE -- A ceremony for the anniversary of Armistice Day in World War I was held at the New Cemetery in Belgrade. British, Russian, German and French ambassadors attend the ceremony (Beta) The anniversary was organized with high state and military honors and the laying of wreaths at a memorial dedicated to the World War I liberators of Belgrade, and the ceremony was attended by Culture Minister Nebojša Bradich. The minister noted in his address that on this day in 1918 World War I ended, adding that “the curtain fell on the butchering of many people, especially Serbs.” “91 years...

The 11-foot statue, dedicated to the US president to thank him for launching a Nato bombing campaign to halt the killing of ethnic Albanians by Serbian troops in 1999, sits on a boulevard also named for Mr Clinton. "I am profoundly grateful that I had a chance to be a part of ending the horrible things that were happening to you 10 years ago, giving you a chance to build a better future for yourself," Mr Clinton told the crowd. "I never expected ... anywhere someone will make such a big statue of me," he said after the statue was...

The UNHRC endorsed Goldstone's Gaza report and I, for once, am happy for this just and timely decision. However, it is clearly not enough, as there are still criminals walking among us, some of whom are even occupying key positions in the US and European governments. To fix this unbearable situation, in which criminals are not persecuted simply because of the high positions they occupy, I would like to propose for the Human Rights Council to start from the very head of the pyramid of power, to set an example for all other would-be war criminals. And what example could...

Testimony of Captain Walter R. Mansfield, first American Liaison Officer with General Mihailovich, before the Commission of Inquiry Captain Walter R. Mansfield, U.S. General Draza Mihailovich 1943 MR. KIENDL TO CAPTAIN MANSFIELD: You never saw any evidence of collaboration all the time you were there? CAPTAIN MANSFIELD: I never saw any evidence of collaboration between Mihailovich personally and the Germans. Q: Did you ever hear any reports from any Americans to the effect that there was such collaboration between Mihailovich and the Germans? A: I have only heard reports to the contrary, that there was none. From the first day's...

BELGRADE -- The average highest income tax rate in EU countries is almost double that of Serbia, Belgrade daily Blic writes. At the same time, a lower rate is applied only in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. According to valid legislation, a Serbian citizen will pay about EUR 146,000 to the state out of each million they earn – half the figure that a Cypriot citizen would pay in taxes. In Denmark, the number would reach over half a million euros, says the newspaper. Saša Radulović, an independent investment consultant who has worked in Germany, Canada and the...

Following the successful organized uprising, the first of its kind in occupied Europe, by the Serbian resistance forces under the command of Serbia’s General Draza Mihailovich that not only threatened Germany’s southern flank in Europe and her occupation of Serbia after Yugoslavia fell to Hitler in April of 1941, but critically delayed Hitler’s planned attack on the Soviet Union that summer, the Germans retaliated. But it wasn’t in the usual way, man to man, soldier to soldier. The method of Nazi retaliation initiated against the Serbs was unprecedented, and the target was the civilian population. Hitler’s aim was to suppress...

Enter the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations. This is anything but a minor ministry in the Russian government. Shoigu has essentially run the ministry since 1994. He is a member of the powerful and selective Russian Security Council -- a key advisory body to the Russian executive on national security -- and has roots in the foreign military intelligence directorate, better known as the GRU, which is one of the most powerful and shadowy institutions in Russia. The ministry is an unofficial wing of the GRU and an outgrowth of its activities. It handles more than natural emergencies: It is...

Missy Loewe, Academic Dean of Washington School of Photography (middle) was instrumental in making the exhibit possible. The exhibit opened on Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, in the Gallery of the Washington School of Photography in Bethesda, Maryland. Organized by RAS-The International Serbian Organization, and the Washington School of Photography, a premier school of photography in the Washington Metropolitan area, this exhibit presents photographs made by the Serbian children who live in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija . Hundreds of Serbian children, together with thousands of adults, live behind barbed wires, in concentration camp conditions and in...

BELGRADE -- Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu says that Serbia, as a part of Europe, will be part of a common European security concept. Sergei Shoigu (Beta, archive) He refused to get into details regarding the concept after his meeting with Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Da�ić, and advised journalists to them to ask Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was in Serbia yesterday. “It is best to ask Medvedev about it, because he has discussed it several times, even in detail recently, so I would not like to give any misinformation on the issue,� Shoigu said. Da�ić added that the...

18.10.2009, 20.31 BELGRADE, October 18 (Itar-Tass) -- The October 20 visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Belgrade will have a historic significance for Serbia from the point of view of political and economic cooperation, Serbian Vice-Premier, Interior Minister and Cochair of the Serbian-Russian Intergovernmental Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation Ivica Dacic said on Sunday. Medvedev will visit Serbia at the invitation of Serbian President Boris Tadic to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Belgrade liberation from the Nazi. “The sides think alike about many important international problems, including the Kosovo status and preservation of Serbia’s territorial integrity,� Dacic...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8LHOdZGRdo

An Open Letter to Boris Tadic, President of the Republic of Serbia: October 18, 2009 Dear President Tadic, My name is Aleksandra, and I'm an American. I was born and raised in America and live in the United States. I am of Serbian descent, the daughter of parents who came to this country after World War Two and made America their permanent home. I wish I could have attended the reception given in your honor in Cleveland, Ohio on September 20th, 2009. Several friends did attend, and everyone was so pleased to have had the opportunity to spend time with...

NOTE: A video/audio webcast of President Tadic's presentation is also available via "Real Player" at http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/RS.shtmlGENERAL ASSEMBLY SIXTY-FOURTH SESSION STATEMENT by H.E.MR. BORIS TADIC PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA New York, 25 September 2009 "President of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The United Nations is the only universal institution that unites us as a global community of independent states. At the very heart of this indispensable Organization stands the General Assembly—the only place in the world where the sovereign voices of all countries are given an equal, legitimate say in the future course of mankind....

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Friday jailed a Serbian national for eight years for attempting to pass secrets about Russian missile and other defense projects to a Pentagon intermediary, Interfax news agency reported on Friday. Aleksandar Georgijevic took his orders from a U.S. citizen who worked for a firm acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, Interfax reported. In 1998, Georgijevic attempted to collect information on a number of Russian military projects, including the Iskander tactical missiles and the R-500, a supersonic cruise missile. But only information on the "Arena" tank protection system was passed on...

Belgrade police charged Serbian President Boris Tadic for allegedly violating anti-hooligan laws by opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate Serbia's World Cup qualification, they said today. Tadic and a number of other officials uncorked the champagne in a VIP lounge at Red Star Belgrade stadium last Saturday after Serbia's victory over Romania qualified them for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Police filed charges to a magistrate in Belgrade against Tadic, Serbia's Football Association chief Tomislav Karadzic, Sports Minister Snezana Markovic-Samardzic and other officials for "violating the law preventing violence and indecent behaviour at sports matches," the statement...

October 9, 2009 marks the 75th anniversary of the assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. This assassination of the Serbian king by a Macedonian terrorist working with Croatian separatists never garnered the notoriety that the June 28, 1914 assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip did. However, the impact of the assassination of King Alexander I and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou in Marseille, France, though not as “immediate” as the Sarajevo assassination in 1914 that precipitated World War I, was a harbinger of the even greater cataclysm that was coming. Given the climate in Europe...

Think things in America can't get any more unsettling? Well, you're wrong. Meet the American Police Force, which will soon take over a Montana jail that once asked to house Guantanamo inmates. And, shocker, they're shady as hell. Let's look... Unorganized militia's played quite the role in America's revolution, and they've been experiencing a bit of a revival in the scary recent past. The anti-immigrant Minute Men are out in full force down Arizona way, while the once-defunct Michigan Militia seems to have revived itself: they just had a training exercise called Operation Pita Storm. But those groups are small...

Note: The following text is a quote: YOU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report Warden Message: Belgrade Expatriates Experiencing Attacks CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS Europe - Serbia 25 Sep 2009 U.S. Embassy Belgrade issues the following Warden Message September 25: The U.S. Embassy wishes to alert American Citizens to a recent spate of crimes affecting the expatriate community in Belgrade. The Regional Security Office (RSO) states that trends involving physical assaults and gun violence remain a threat to foreigners. The RSO wishes to highlight the some recent criminal events: · On September 16, 2009, a British...

Bosnian Muslim leader weapons smuggler Sep 23, 2009 The leader of the Bosnian Muslim extremist political party, the SDA, is also the main kernel in the Bosnian Muslim network of weapons smuggling says Bosnian Muslim expert on security and terrorism Dzevad Galijasevic. Bakir Izetbegovic, the leader of the SDA and a son of the late extremist Muslim leader, Alija Izetbegovic, who invited al-Qaeda into Bosnia, is the main organizer in smuggling of illegal weapons into Bosnia says Galijasevic and notes that the former SDA leader Hasan Cengic, who is very close to the radicals in Iran, control the black market...

Monument of the Unknown Hero / Mt. Avala, Serbia CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER II LAYS WREATH AT THE MONUMENT OF THE UNKNOWN HERO ON AVALA MOUNTAIN IN SERBIA Belgrade, 15 September 2009 – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II laid a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Hero on Avala Mountain near Belgrade, for the September 15th anniversary of the breach of the Thessaloniki (Salonika) Front in 1918. A traditional ceremony with military honours was organized by the Association of Descendants of Serbian Warriors 1912 – 1920, and besides HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, wreaths were also laid by:...

BELGRADE -- Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman have signed an agreement to abolish visas between the two countries. The two ministers welcomed the signing, stating that it was an important step in the development of bilateral relations. “This removes the obstacle to Serbian businesspeople and tourists that want to come to Israel,” Lieberman said. Jeremic and Lieberman said that only new negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina could yield a permanent solution to the Kosovo status question. The Serbian minister said that he thanked Lieberman for Israel’s firm position regarding Kosovo. “I am very thankful...

A group of Serbian paratroopers jumped with their Israeli counterparts on Saturday in a festive solidarity parachute jump near Beersheba. An IDF paratrooper exercise (illustrative). Photo: IDF SLIDESHOW: Israel & Region | World The group of 10 paratroopers from Serbia's 63rd Airborne Brigade arrived here on Friday for a weeklong visit that will include a ceremony at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem and a visit to the Israel Air Force's Tel Nof Base. On Wednesday, the group will hold another solidarity jump in the North and will wrap up its visit to Yad Vashem. According to Jovan Culibrk, one of the...

Israel opposes Kosovo recognition, urges talks Sep 16, 2009 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Serbia Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic have agreed that new negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina is the only way to achieve a long-term and stable solution for the future status of Kosovo. Lieberman said that direct talks is the only way that a comprehensive peace in the region can be achieved. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, left, and Serbia Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic meet in Serbia September 16, 2009. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, left, and Serbia Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic meet in Serbia September 16,...

BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbia will have to lay off about one-fifth of its government employees — 14,000 people — to meet conditions set by the International Monetary Fund to receive more financial aid, the country's finance minister said Monday. Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic said Serbia aims to cut spending before the government resumes its talks with the IMF on Oct. 20. The IMF has postponed giving the Balkan country access to additional funds from a euro2.8 billion ($4 billion) standby loan granted in March, demanding details on how Serbia plans to finance its growing budget deficit amid the global financial...

From Alex M. in Belgrade, Serbia:For all my friends abroad - those of you who wish to learn about Belgrade or are planning to come for a visit, and for my countrymen abroad who feel nostalgic for home, I have written my own guide to Belgrade. A lot of effort went into this. I appreciate you taking the time to read this. Read it slowly, and try to imagine the pictures as you are reading. Enjoy!NOTE from Ravnagora: I have included the photos in Alex's piece and they have been taken from various sources on the internet. ***** According to...

Beautiful picture of a bridge in Kosovo (Bing Sept. 4, 2009).

BELGRADE -- The military intelligence services have submitted information to the State Commission that General Dragoljub Mihailovich is buried on Ada Ciganlija. According to the State Commission on Establishing the Truth about the Murder of Dragoljub Mihailovich, digging will shortly begin next to the gates of a former prison on Ada as part of the search for Mihailovich’s remains, writes daily Novosti. “This is the first time that a state body has submitted tangible knowledge of the execution and burial of General Mihailovich. The conditions have therefore been created to begin excavations at that location,“ one member of the commission...

Remnants of Iraq Air Force Are FoundBy ROD NORDLAND Published: August 30, 2009 BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials have discovered that they may have a real air force, after all. The Defense Ministry revealed Sunday that it had recently learned that Iraq owns 19 MIG-21 and MIG-23 jet fighters, which are in storage in Serbia. Ministry officials are negotiating with the Serbs to restore and return the aircraft. The Serbian government has tentatively promised to make two of the aircraft available “for immediate use,” according to a news release from the ministry. The rest would be restored on a rush basis,...

Iraq to fetch MiG fighter planes from Serbia (AFP) – 11 hours ago BAGHDAD — An Iraqi military delegation has gone to Serbia to bring back 19 MiG fighter planes that Saddam Hussein's regime sent for servicing 20 years ago, the defence ministry said on Saturday. "General Othman al-Fredji, a defence ministry adviser, and Anwar Mohammed Amin, head of the air force, are in Serbia negotiating the return (of the planes) at the earliest possible date," spokesman General Mohammed al-Askari said. The Soviet-built MiG-21 and 23 aircraft, whose existence has just been discovered, "were sent by Saddam's government in 1989...

Monument to the heroes of Cer in Serbia De-Construct.net August 23, 2009 On August 23rd, 2009, In the midst of ceremonies marking the 95-year anniversary of the Battle of Cer [pronounced Tser], the first Allied victory of WWI, the archpriest of the Serbian Šabac Diocese announced the building of a church dedicated to the fallen heroes of the First World War and to the glorious Serb-Russian saint, St. John the Wonderworker. “We shall do everything to make sure the Cer heroes finally have their own church. Back in 1939, the reserve officers from this region collected money and received permission...