Balkan developments

Türkiye and Chevron begin joint oil and gas exploration

Türkiye’s National energy company Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and the American energy company Chevron have signed an agreement to jointly explore and produce oil and natural gas. The news was announced on the social media platform X by Türkiye’s Minister of Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar. ''We aim to develop joint projects both in Türkiye and on an international scale'', Alparslan Bayraktar noted, emphasizing that the goal is for the Turkish company to reach a production capacity of 1 million barrels per day.  

In mid-January, Bayraktar said that the agreement with Chevron provides for the expansion of exploration in the Black Sea with six new drilling wells, and that Ankara aims to double its production this year. The energy minister forecasted that 2026 will be a turning point in terms of integrating production from the country’s own deposits into the gas transmission system. ''Our goal is to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources'', Minister Bayraktar stressed.

Albania has a chance to become an EU Member by 2029

If the Albanian parliament and government maintain this momentum of reform implementation, EU membership could be achieved within the term of the current European Parliament, which expires at the end of 2029, said the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Albania, Andreas Schieder, in Vlore, reported BTA.

According to him, Europe will not be complete until the Western Balkans, and Albania in particular, become part of the European family. Andreas Schieder stressed that the country’s European integration is a nationwide cause which, through modernization and reforms, would ensure a higher standard of living for Albanians and create new opportunities for the development of the EU itself.

Croatia reports a slight rise in birth rates for the first time in years

Croatia’s Ministry of Demography and Immigration announced that in 2025 more than EUR 20 million was paid out as one-off financial aid for newborn children. This is part of a broader package of measures aimed at supporting families and promoting demographic renewal. On March 1, 2025, the one-time aid for a newborn in the country doubled from EUR 309 to EUR 618. For the first six months of leave, the benefit limit rose from EUR 995 to EUR 3,000 net. This means that parents with salaries up to that amount can receive their full pay throughout the entire leave period, HRT notes. For parents of twins, or three or more children, the benefit limit for the period from the child’s first to third year of life increased from EUR 551 to EUR 803.

Provisional data from the Central Bureau of Statistics indicate that the long-term decline in births was halted last year, with 32,385 children born in 2025—316 more than in 2024.

Cyprus launches National Strategy for Migrant Integration

Cyprus has launched its first National Strategy for Migrant Integration, aimed at tackling ghettos and the exploitation of foreigners in the informal economy, BNR correspondent Branislava Bobanac reported. The aim is for the integration to benefit both migrants and the Cypriot economy and society.

The document provides all legally residing third-country nationals with a work permit, students, and refugees under international protection the opportunity to attend free Greek language courses. This aims to facilitate their inclusion in Cypriot society and participation in the labor market. Expansion of access to childcare is planned so that migrant women can work. A special focus is placed on housing for foreigners, aiming to eliminate existing ghettos and prevent new ones.

BiH issues historic verdict on discrimination against LGBT people

The Cantonal Court in Sarajevo has issued the first final verdict in Bosnia and Herzegovina for discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, reported the non-governmental organization “Open Center Sarajevo”, cited by the Bosnian edition of Radio Free Europe. The verdict concerns a Facebook post following the announcement of the country’s first pride parade in 2019. The post was made by Samra Čosović Hajdarević, former member in the Sarajevo Conton Assembly, against whom the organization filed a lawsuit for discrimination against LGBT people and incitement to hatred. “I want such people to be isolated and moved away as far as possible from children and our society”, she wrote at the time.

The Cantonal Court fully confirmed the position of the Municipal Court from 2022, which initially classified the statement as hate speech. “Open Center Sarajevo” stated that the decision is a turning point for the protection of human rights in the country.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov