Balkan developments

US sanctions push Serbian oil refinery to shutdown

The only Serbian oil refinery NIS in Pancevo near Belgrade has run out of raw material and is on the verge of shutdown, President Aleksandar Vucic stated on national TV RTS.

The Serbian government has given the Russian owners 50 days to sell their 56% stake in NIS. The refinery has been under US sanctions since 9 October, and as of 1 December this year Serbian banks will cease working with it. This puts 13,000 jobs in jeopardy.

NIS announced that it applied for a new licence from the US on 19 November, so it can continue operating for the duration of the negotiations with the shareholders on a change of ownership. According to N1 TV, the shutdown of the refinery, which meets 80% of the needs of the Serbian market, means that diesel and petrol will have to be imported from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

North Macedonia announces plan to bring back expats

As the number of North Macedonia citizens living abroad increases, the government in Skopje drafted a national strategy for cooperation with the diaspora 2025-2030. The document was presented by Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski. The government programme will reintegrate the people who want to return to the country. There will be “contact persons” at the municipalities to act as a bridge between the diaspora and the central authorities, and the government will be able to appoint a special envoy for the diaspora.

According to official data, more than 700,000 citizens of North Macedonia are living outside the country, 38.4% of them in European countries. The biggest communities outside Europe are those in Australia, the US and Canada. Money transfers from expats form 4-10% of North Macedonia’s GDP, Deutsche Welle reports.

Greece to present Albania with plan for bilateral negotiations on its way to the EU

Greece is working on a new diplomatic roadmap for its relations with Albania. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis is expected to present an official plan of action to his new Albanian counterpart Elisa Spiropali during her first official visit to Athens on 16 December. Greece is seeking to revive the bilateral dialogue after Edi Rama was reelected for prime minister and renewed his bid for Albania to join the EU by 2030, and for the negotiations themselves to be completed during the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027. The roadmap envisions work on sensitive issues which have remained unresolved for years – border connectivity, cooperation in infrastructure and energy and the unresolved dispute over maritime borders in the Ionian Sea, BGNES reports.

EU is the biggest foreign investor in Kosovo

The EU ambassador to Kosovo Aivo Orav stated that since 1999 the European community has invested EUR 3.7 billion in Kosovo. The diplomat announced these data at the opening of a photo exhibition “EU by your side” in Pristina on 24 November. The exposition shows how Europe’s support is impacting the everyday lives of people in Kosovo, the website telegrafi.com writes.

Over a quarter of a century, with the EUR 3.7 billion invested in Kosovo, the EU has remained the country’s strongest and most reliable partner, as well as the biggest source of financial assistance, Aivo Orav said, and added that the EU is continuing its support for Kosovo.

Landmark skyscraper in Zagreb set on fire as a TikTok challenge to be torn down

The landmark skyscraper Vjesnik in the capital of Croatia Zagreb, which was set on fire on 18 November and was completely gutted, is going to be torn down, Deputy PM and Minister of Construction Branko Bacic has announced. It will most likely be blown up.

The tower on Slavonska Avenue was set on fire as a challenge on the social network TikTok by two 18-year olds who have been detained. Fortunately, there were no people inside the high-rise building during the conflagration, state TV hrt.hr reports.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov
Translated by Milena Daynova