LOCAL PRESS

 

Gendarmerie member dies from wounds (Tanjug/Beta)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said that a member of the Serbian Gendarmerie member who had received wounds in the Ground Safety Zone in the night between Wednesday and Thursday succumbed to his wounds and died. Minister Stefanovic condemned in the strongest terms the murder of the Gendarmerie member and the attack on the Serbian police. “I ordered strengthening the police force presence in this part of the Ground Safety Zone to protect the lives of police officers, the local population and vital interests of our country,” Stefanovic told Tanjug. He said that Serbia would not tolerate terrorist attacks on its territory and the police would respond with force to any attack. Stefanovic expressed condolences to the family of Stevan Sindjelic and stressed that he would request that the perpetrators of this terrorist act be found and most severely punished.

Unknown Albanian attackers opened fire in the Orlovac village near Merdare on a member of the Gendarmerie and wounded him, the Serbian Interior Ministry announced. Persons who were illegally cutting wood are suspected of attacking the Gendarmerie members. Gendarmerie member Stevan Sindjelic was transferred with a police helicopter to the Military Medical Hospital in Belgrade where he was given urgent medical assistance. The spokesperson of the Prokuplje hospital Marija Despotovic has earlier told Beta that the Gendarmerie member S.S. (30) was wounded around 3 a.m. and arrived at the hospital at 7 a.m. “He was shot in the head and underwent resuscitation straight away, after which he was transported with a helicopter in a very difficult condition,” Despotovic said. The police in Kursumlija also discovered forest thieves from Kosovo and Metohija. A group of Kosovo Albanians was caught near Kursumlija while steeling woods, and one of the thieves was wounded in the shootout with the police, the Serbian Interior Ministry announced.

 

Serbian Army and KFOR to strengthen joint patrols (Tanjug)

In the wake of the murder of a member of the Serbian Gendarmerie, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Ljubisa Dikovic and KFOR Commander Salvatore Farina agreed to urgently strengthen joint patrols, especially in the areas where the illegal wood cutting had been spotted. In a telephone conversation with General Farina, General Dikovic sought greater KFOR engagement along the administrative line between Kosovo and Metohija and Serbia proper “in order to prevent illegal activities in the area.” He said it was unacceptable that a group of civilians from Kosovo and Metohija could freely move armed with automatic rifles and illegally cut down trees in forests and attack security forces of the Republic of Serbia who been had completely legitimately preventing them from doing that activity. Dikovic said that those armed civilians were responsible for terrorist acts, such as the latest attack on members of the Gendarmerie of the Republic of Serbia. The Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces and the KFOR Commander “agreed to urgently strengthen joint patrols, especially in the areas where the illegal logging was sighted,” the Serbian Armed Forces said in a release. General Farina has condemned the attacks on the security forces of the Republic of Serbia, the release said.

Djuric, Eigner discuss implementation of Brussels agreement (Beta/Tanjug)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric met with Austrian Ambassador in Belgrade Johannes Eigner, and they agreed that the implementation of accords reached within the Brussels agreement needs to continue. According to a release issued by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the two officials discussed the EU integration process and underlined the exceptional importance of full implementation of the Brussels agreement and the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Djuric and Eigner discussed open issues as well, including the judiciary, energy and telecommunications. Djuric underlined that the constitution of the Union of Serb Municipalities is the priority in the forthcoming period, and expressed the belief that Chapter 35 would be opened by the end of the year. Djuric underlined that Serbia wants Kosovo and Metohija to be stable and hopes that after the constitution of the provincial government, the conditions will be met for the creation of a safer environment, economic sustainability and better living conditions for Serbs in the province. In this context, Djuric and Eigner expressed the hope that the provincial government would be set up soon, which will accelerate the already launched processes, the release states.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija condemns Kosovo Albanian demonstrations (RTS)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija condemned the act of Kosovo Albanians in Musutiste, Suva Reka Municipality, who had blocked the way for displaced Serbs in that region to reach a local Orthodox Church, where the Serbs wanted to mark the Assumption. The Office appealed to reconciliation and tolerance and called on all the competent institutions in Kosovo and the international community to take measures so such security issues are finally overcome. It is not good for anyone if, even 15 years later, Kosovo Serbs are being prevented from moving freely or leading a normal life, the Office emphasizes. If displaced Serbs cannot return to their homes or visit the graves of their family members, this brings into question the sincerity of the call of Kosovo institutions on Serbs to return, the Office underlines.

 

NATO to stay in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Despite numerous challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine, NATO is not planning to reduce the number of its troops in Kosovo, a high-ranking NATO diplomat told Tanjug. The troops in Kosovo have a clear mandate from the UN Security Council, and both the Albanians and Serbs want them to stay, said the diplomat who wished to remain anonymous. KFOR has proved itself successful, he believes, adding that he does not expect an initiative to review the KFOR mission at the upcoming summit in Wales. The heads of state of 28 NATO members will meet in Newport, near Cardiff, on 4 and 5 September, mostly to discuss the plan for withdrawal from Afghanistan, the situation in the Middle East and the Ukrainian crisis.

 

Berlin not asking Belgrade to introduce sanctions to Moscow (Politika)

At the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the conference on Western Balkans will commence today in Berlin, where Germany will convey that it is still devoted to the EU perspective of South-East Europe. Berlin expects the Western Balkan countries to cooperate more strongly in the economy since such projects would be supported by Germany and the EU, but, as Politika learns, many of the proposed Balkan projects are too ambitious, i.e. expensive and there are no expectations that any kind of specific agreement on them will be signed with Germany today. Politika learns at the German Foreign Ministry that Serbia, as the candidate country, is expected to behave regarding the crisis in Ukraine in line with the EU policy. “We would appreciate highly if the Serbian policy would fully agree with the EU policy towards Russia. Serbia has not fulfilled a large part of that policy. The neutral position isn’t acceptable if you are a candidate country. Montenegro also has close ties with Russia, but it behaves fully in line with the EU policy. If Belgrade would introduce sanctions to Russia, we would highly appreciate this, but if it doesn’t, we will not stop Serbia’s EU path because of that,” said a German diplomat devoted to German-Balkan relations. The conference will be an opportunity to once again go through economic and political troubles in the Balkans, especially bilateral problems. One of the unresolved issues is also relations between Serbia and Kosovo and Germany in this sense is the least permissible country towards Belgrade. Prior to the arrival of the Serbian delegation to Berlin, where Kosovo representatives will also be present, German diplomats are underlining their firm stand towards Belgrade: “Serbia is expected to recognize Kosovo or something that is very close to that, with some legally binding agreement, but what exactly, it will be clearer over the years as Serbia draws closer to membership. Today’s gathering is an opportunity for German and European officials to remind guests about what is expected from them in the sphere of democracy, rule of law, independent work of media and other EU values. There would be no progress in North Kosovo if Serbia and Kosovo were presented with the possibility of EU membership if they agree.”

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Good cooperation between RS and Serbian police (Srna)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said in Banja Luka on Wednesday EU membership was a goal Serbia and Republika Srpska (RS) shared, adding that Serbia wished to pass on its experience in EU integration. He described the cooperation between the police forces of Serbia and the RS as very good, stressing that the police wanted to guarantee the safety of the people of Serbia and RS in the battle against extremism and terrorism as well. Serbia will continue to do everything in its power to ensure the best possible cooperation with RS, Stefanovic said after a meeting with the RS President Milorad Dodik, underscoring that it also involved cooperation between the two police forces, the media in Banja Luka have reported. After the meeting with Stefanovic, Dodik congratulated both police forces on their results and regional cooperation in battling organised, hi-tech and other forms of crime. “Our cooperation with Serbia follows the Special and Parallel Ties Agreement. We view Serbia in a special way, following the rights and obligations defined in the agreement, and we expect a joint meeting of the two governments next month and a meeting of the council for the implementation of the agreement. Our goal is for the elections to be fair and peaceful and for the RS to gain new legitimacy through democratic elections. That is why we feel the role of the police in all of this has to be neutral and ensure complete stability in terms of public order, and Serbia's experience in that sense is very important to us,” Dodik said.

 

Vucic, Bevanda discuss cooperation (Fena)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met in Berlin with the Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda to discuss further cooperation between the two countries in all fields and their European perspective. Meeting on the sidelines of a high-level conference on the Western Balkans, Vucic and Bevanda exchanged views on relations in the region, stressing in particular the importance of strengthening economic and business cooperation. They specifically expressed the desire to contribute to the stabilization of the entire region. The meeting was attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and one of the topics was cooperation between Serbia and B&H on the road to EU accession, a strategic goal for both countries.

 

Dodik: Bevanda cannot represent RS at the conference in Berlin (Nezavisne novine)

The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik said that the Chair of the B&H Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda could not represent the RS interests at the Conference on the Western Balkans in Berlin, as he left for the gathering without having reached any agreements beforehand. Dodik said that the most important factors within B&H had not been included in the formulation of the stands that Bevanda will be representing in Berlin. He stressed that the B&H Council of Ministers was not a place where major decisions are made and that the Chair of that Council could by no means represent B&H in full capacity, because of the fact that B&H, as such, is an unsuccessful and unsustainable state, pointed out Dodik.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Serbian policeman killed on border with Kosovo (AP, 28 August 2014)

KURSUMLIJA, Serbia - Serbian police say a gendarmerie unit officer has been killed on the tense border with Kosovo.

Police described the shooting as a "terrorist attack" by Kosovo Albanians who were allegedly cutting wood illegally in a forest on the Serbian side of the boundary early Thursday.

The Serbian Interior Ministry ordered deployment of a heavy police force to the border in response. There were no reports on whether there were any casualties among ethnic Albanians in the shootout with the Serbian border unit.

Tensions have been high on the border since 1999 when NATO-led peacekeepers deployed in Kosovo, pushing Serb security forces out of the former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence.

 

Serbia, Albania and Kosovo advance security co-operation (Southeast European Times, by Biljana Pekusic, 27 August 2014)

The Brussels agreement between Belgrade and Pristina has led to improvements in security since being implemented a little more than a year ago, but experts said it also provides opportunities to address outstanding security-related challenges.

The Serbian government gave Pristina a list of 337 policemen to work in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, as stipulated in the agreement, and nearly 300 of them have been hired.

"Additional training for those policemen is conducted at the Kosovo Academy for Public Security, and then they are sent to work in the municipalities where they live," Maja Belos, researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told SETimes.

Another 800 other Serb policemen living outside northern Kosovo cannot be integrated into the Kosovo police, officials said.

Those who were integrated still work with lower ranks than what they had in the Serbian police, said Slavisa Arsenijevic, head of the Kosovo and Metohia department at the Serbia Internal Affairs Ministry.

"That is why colonels and captains patrol the streets. Moreover, payment of salaries is conditioned on obtaining a Kosovo identification card that is not quickly obtainable," Arsenijevic told SETimes.

Arsenijevic said not including Kosovo in regional initiatives against organised crime presents a security challenge. Moreover, the Serbia and Kosovo police forces co-operate indirectly through UNMIK, and there is no Belgrade-Pristina agreement for extradition.

"Still, contacts between the two police forces do exist, but they need to be made official through an agreement and establish co-operation mechanisms before EULEX leaves Kosovo likely in 2016," Shpen Kursani, of the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies in Pristina, told SETimes.

Similar integration issues concern policemen in the three Albanian-majority municipalities in Serbia -- Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

"In those municipalities, 89 percent of the inhabitants are Albanians and in the police there are only 50 percent Albanian," Sofia Kreziu, of the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies, told SETimes.

Experts said in addition to improving integration, the agreement provides room to improve cross-border movement.

"Now the flow of people is increased, but still there are only 20 percent Albanians from Kosovo that comes to Serbia, and most often in the Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja municipalities," Sonja Stojanovic Gajic, director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told SETimes.

Related ArticlesBelgrade and Pristina have signed 18 bilateral agreements, including concerning security issues. By contrast Kosovo has signed 60 agreements with Macedonia and 40 agreements with Albania.

"Serbia and Albania signed a bilateral co-operation agreement against organised crime, international drug trafficking and international terrorism," Arjan Dyrmishi, of the Institute for Democracy and Mediation in Tirana, told SETimes.

Dyrmishi said an increasing number of people travel now to the other country and the planned visit by Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama will speed up the improvement of mutual relations.

 

Court Rulings Leave Kosovo in Political Deadlock (BIRN, by Nektar Zogjani, 27 August 2014)

The Constitutional Court ruling on the speaker’s election has failed to resolve the political deadlock that has left Kosovo without a government for nearly three months.

Three months on since June’s general elections and Kosovo is no closer to getting a permanent government.

With an opposition bloc holding the most seats in parliament on one side, and the former ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK - with the weight of the highest court behind it - on another, the political tug of war has yet to produce a real winner.

A ruling released on Tuesday by the Constitutional Court, concerning the election of the speaker of parliament, has not offered a path forward - and left many scratching their heads.

The court threw out the election in July of the opposition leader Isa Mustafa as Speaker and said that the PDK - as the largest single party parliament - had the sole right to nominate a candidate.

But the court offered no alternative solution should Hashim Thaci’s PDK fail to get its Speaker elected.

Meanwhile, President Atifete Jahjaga is signaling that she will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister until parliament has put its house in order.

“Constituting the Assembly will pave the way for the next steps in order to establish new [governing] institutions,” Arber Vallahiu, Jahjaga’s adviser, told Koha Ditore.

Only when Jahjaga nominates a Prime Minister is there legally imposed deadline to form a government - within 60 days. Once that time limit expires, new elections must be called.

An earlier Constitutional Court Ruling means that Thaci's PDK, as the party that won the most votes in the June elections, has the right to name the Prime Minister nominee, which will presumably be Thaci himself. If he fails to form a government, Jahjaga can nominate someone of her own choosing.

The two Constitutional Court rulings have dealt blows to the opposition coalition, led by Ramush Haradinaj, which includes his party, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, and NISMA.

The parties united shortly after the elections in June as a united front against Thaci. With the opposition Vetevendosje [Self-determination] party offering conditional backing, Haradinaj’s election seemed a certainty.

However, in its two rulings, the court rejected the legitimacy of a coalition formed after elections, concluding that the PDK, which won around 30 per cent of the vote, must have the first opportunity to nominate its pick for Prime Minister - and also nominate the Speaker.

The PDK, for its part, insists that it can summon up enough votes to elect a Speaker, and has also voiced confidence that it can get Thaci elected to a third mandate as Prime Minister.

“We have enough votes to pass all these decisions and to implement the will of the Kosovo citizens,” PDK MP Adem Grabovci told Koha Ditore.

Doing so, however, will requiring getting votes from the opposition bloc and or from Vetevendosje, which would be challenging.

Haradinaj has said the opposition bloc will go ahead and nominate its candidate for Speaker once the PDK has failed to secure its nominee.

“The right that the court gave to the PDK to nominate the Speaker ends immediately with the failure from this party to get the required votes,” Haradinaj told reporters this week.

“The court says... the assembly should find a way to elect the speaker, so we have the solution to this, we have our own candidate, Mustafa, and we also have the votes,” he added.

But it’s unclear whether, if the bloc did so, the result would be another court challenge. The Constitutional Court also stated in its ruling that every one of the 120 members of parliament must be present for the body’s first session, when the Speaker is elected.

But in doing so, the court has given each MP the power to effectively block any nomination, thus requiring widespread consensus for the election of any nominee.

While the major political parties have not voiced any serious interest in holding new elections, both the opposition coalition and the PDK could gain from new polls.

New elections would allow the opposition bloc to run as an electoral coalition, while the PDK could boost its votes if it persuaded its former coalition partner, New Kosovo Alliance, AKR, to run together with it. The AKR failed to get the 5 per cent of the votes it needed to get into parliament.

Analyst Leon Malazogu said he doubted a new election would change anything. “It is not in the interest of Kosovo citizens,” Malazogu said. “I think that we would arrive in the same position again after more elections.”

 

Macedonia's path from progress to problem child (Deutsche Welle, 27 August 2014)

As a long list of crises grows longer, Germany wants to make sure that the Balkans maintain economic and political stability and has invited their leaders to a summit in Berlin. Macedonia is a reminder of the pitfalls.

When Erwan Fouere, the longest-serving EU representative in Macedonia, started his mandate in 2005, Macedonia had just secured its EU candidate status and was considered a success story in the Western Balkans. The country seemed well on track to meet EU-membership requirements after it had managed to move beyond the abyss of civil war in 2001 by providing greater rights for the ethnic Albanian minority, which makes up quarter of the 2.1 million population.

Fouere left in late 2011, deeply disappointed and critical of what the country has become. Writing for the news portal Balkan Insight in April of this year he accused the ruling conservative VMRO-DPMNE party of turning Macedonia into "a state where government controls all the levers of power, including the judiciary and the electoral process, does not tolerate any minority or dissenting views, and uses fear and intimidation to exercise its authority over society."

The promise of 'rebirth'

Hopes were high in August 2006 when the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party formed the new government under its leader Nikola Gruevski, a former finance minister.

The enthusiasm of the Macedonian voters who gave Gruevski's party a big majority in the parliament was initially shared by the Western press: "The Reformer," "Realist in Skopje," "West-oriented pragmatist" were just some of the headlines in newspapers across Europe.

Gruevski's mandate was to "reinvent" the country through economic growth, improved living standards, jobs, and EU and NATO membership. These promises were made repeatedly in the following years as Gruevski and his party won every single election cycle - parliamentary, presidential and local polls from 2006 onwards.

But eight years later there is little sign of the economy rebounding. Unemployment still hovers around the 30 percent mark, and NATO or EU membership are not in sight. Following its democratic progress in the previous decade, Macedonia is now considered to be a "democratic backslider" in the words of Anastas Vangeli, a doctoral researcher at the Polish Academy of Science in Warsaw.

"At the core lies a powerful and deeply entrenched ruling elite, which has accumulated so many resources that is now virtually irremovable and able to create its own rules of the political game, but also to change the outlook of the state and the society as a whole," he says.

What turned Macedonia from a "success story" into a problem child was the Greek veto at the NATO Bucharest summit in 2008, says Andreas Ernst, journalist and longtime south-east Europe correspondent for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

"It changed the incentive structure of politics in Macedonia. Why should the political elite make liberal reforms (to the detriment of its power), if there would not be a prestige reward through Euro-Atlantic integration?"

Greece has objected to the use of the name Macedonia used by its northern neighbor ever since the country gained independence from the Yugoslav federation in 1991. Both countries have been negotiating a solution under the UN auspices for the last 20 years, but no resolution is in sight. As a result, Athens is blocking both EU and NATO membership.

'Skopje 2014'

To offset the dispute with Greece, Gruevski and his party introduced the project "Skopje 2014" aimed at modernizing the capital but at the same time highlighting the country's ancient roots.

"The goal of Skopje 2014 is strengthening the rule of the incumbent elite, be it through providing powerful ethno-national mythology, or through presenting an image of a government that is actively engaged in construction projects," says Vangeli.

On the surface, Macedonia may be changing its appearance, however underneath the regime seems intent on maintaining a stranglehold on critical voices.

There have been numerous incidents of opposition party officials being thrown in jail, while critical media have been marginalized, or simply shutdown. The few independent journalists left are constantly threatened with heavy fines for libel or insult or are discredited in the mainstream media which is now entirely under government control.

Regional model

Political analysts claim that the democratic decline in Macedonia in recent years is not an exception in the region, but a schoolbook example of the authoritarian tendencies in the Southeast Europe.

"The model of an 'illiberal democracy' (free but unfair elections, executive control of the judiciary and media intimidation) seems to be spreading in many south-eastern and eastern European countries," says Andreas Ernst.

Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin or Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey are attractive to many voters, says Ernst, because their illiberal rule increases security and wealth in their respective nations. And, he adds, although many of the Balkan leaders are failing to increase security and wealth in their countries, they seem to profit from the prestige of their role models.

Florian Bieber, a professor of Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz in Austria, recently argued that the danger of populism with authoritarian tendencies is not limited to the Western Balkans, but includes EU member states such as Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

It is no coincidence that Gruevski is forging strong links with these two countries and especially Hungary, says Anastas Vangeli.

"[Prime Minister Viktor] Orban runs an 'anti-everything' ideology that aims to produce a narrative of economic stability, national dignity and protection from domestic and external threats."

Stability over democratic benchmarks

Germany wants to help but not at all costs

When German chancellor Angela Merkel gathers Balkan leaders in Berlin on Thursday, she is likely to tell them that the "countries wishing to join the EU must meet stringent democratic benchmarks before being considered as candidates to join the bloc."

The invitation signals a new initiative from Berlin after a period during which the region was low on the agenda, due to the financial crisis in Europe and enlargement fatigue.

"The EU and especially Germany, who took over the caretaker role in the Balkans from the US, are too busy to be really interested in the developments here," says Ernst.

"As long as leaders like Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and Gruevski can guarantee stability, the EU does not really bother about growing illiberal tendencies. Maybe the EU enlargement commissioner does, but certainly not the capitals that are not keen on enlargement at all," concludes Ernst.

 

Balkan Leaders Have High Hopes of Berlin Summit (BIRN, by Florian Franze, Dusica Tomovic, 28 August 2014)

Regional leaders have high hopes that the conference will attract German investment and support for large infrastructure projects, as well as boosting their EU progress.

A high-level conference on the economic prospects and European perspectives of the Western Balkan states opens in Berlin on August 28, including top-ranking politicians from Germany, the EU and the Balkans under the patronage of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Regional leaders, including prime ministers, foreign ministers and economy ministers, hope the EU's most powerful country will help fund a number of major infrastructure projects. They also seek Chancellor Merkel’s approval that they are on the right path in terms of the EU integration process.

For Milo Djukanovic, Montenegrin Prime Minister, the conference is a chance for first ever official meeting with Merkel in her home country.

Although he has led his country for nearly a quarter-of-a-century, Djukanovic has never met the German Chancellor in Berlin, nor has Merkel visited Montenegro. They have only met briefly at some high-profile events, such as NATO and EU summits.

Some government critics maintain that the lack of contact is a sign of German disapproval with Djukanovic and with the state of democracy in Montenegro, especially concerning the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Ahead of the Berlin conference, Montenegro said the meeting would provide an additional incentive for progress in the economy, in the rule of law, in security and in regional reconciliation, while confirming the commitment of the EU and Germany to the European perspective of the Western Balkans. Montenegro also hopes to win support for concrete projects, such as a new highway.

Likewise, Kosovo is looking to the summit in Berlin to improve the poor situation with foreign investment.

Ardian Arifaj, an advisor to outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, said Kosovo to benefit both in political and economic aspects from the conference.

Kosovo aims show that "it is looking toward the future and building a state with the rule of law and with prospects of a prosperous economy”, he said.

Economy expert Ibrahim Rexhepi says Kosovo should seek support in Berlin for energy and road projects which will create a pathway to Europe and consequently bring economic profits.

Serbia also aims to attract German investment and funds for large infrastructure projects, including reconstruction of the railway between Belgrade and Podgorica, in Montenegro, and further on to Kosovo and Albania.

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Prime Minister, plans to highlight the need to open up the regional market and increase regional trade.

Serbian media have reported that Vucic may also discuss Belgrade's currently neutral position on the Ukraine crisis with Merkel, which has been deemed out of sync with Europe's agreed position.

The conference consists of three parts.

Merkel will first hold a bilateral meeting with José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, and then the two will meet the heads of state of Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia for a joint meeting on structural reforms, rule of law and the fight against corruption.

Regional economy ministers will meet Sigmar Gabriel, German economy minister, and Günther Oettinger, the European Commission Vice President. Foreign ministers will meet Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister, together with Stefan Fule, the European Enlargement Commissioner.