Balkan developments

Hakan Fidan criticises EU over Türkiye‘s EU membership perspective

Türkiye‘s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has accused the European Union of a lack of political will to revise the Customs Union and Türkiye‘s membership perspective, BTA reported. During his visit to Austria, Fidan said that despite the country’s geostrategic and economic potential and the benefits for Europe, the process has been stalled for political reasons.

According to him, the EU is not ready to commit to Türkiye’s accession even if it meets the criteria, noting that this will has weakened since 2007. “The European political will that was expressed by Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder disappeared with Sarkozy”, Fidan commented.

Minister Fidan stressed the need for closer cooperation between Ankara and the European Union amid the war in Ukraine, crises in the Middle East, and issues of European security and NATO. He also said that a possible revision of the Customs Union could double trade volume to USD 500 billion.

Kosovo heads toward new early parliamentary elections

Kosovo is heading toward new early parliamentary elections after lawmakers failed to elect a president within the deadline, Reuters reported, as cited by BTA. Parliament had until midnight on Tuesday (April 28) to elect a head of state following the expiry of Vjosa Osmani’s mandate in early April. However, Prime Minister Albin Kurti failed to secure opposition support for his candidate, while a lack of quorum prevented the vote from taking place.

“Parliament is considered dissolved,” said Parliament Speaker and acting President Albulena Haxhiu after the deadline passed. The new election, which will be the third in just over a year, is expected to be scheduled for May 31 or June 7.

The political crisis prolongs instability in Kosovo and raises concerns over progress on key reforms on the country’s path toward EU membership.

 Croatia plans EUR 50 billion AI centre in Topusko

A project to build a high-tech centre for development and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, worth over EUR 50 billion, was presented this week at the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Dubrovnik, HINA reported.

The project, named “Pantheon”, will be built in the Croatian town of Topusko. It will have a capacity of 1 gigawatt and will exceed the highest Tier 4 reliability standard applied in the EU.

The company Končar will take part in building a modern electrical substation and around 280 kilometres of new power lines. A partnership with the renewable energy company Greenvolt would provide a 500-megawatt photovoltaic plant designed exclusively to power the facility.

Construction is planned to begin in 2027, with commissioning expected in 2029, 3e-news.net reported.

Greece expands the list of “untouched beaches”  

Greece’s Minister of Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou have signed a joint decision to expand the list of so-called “untouched beaches”, increasing their number from 238 to 251, Ta Nea reports.

The measures are being introduced amid record tourist flows to Greece. Many of the most popular islands are struggling under the pressure during the summer season. While tourism remains a key pillar of the economy, the authorities emphasize the need for balance in order to avoid long-term environmental damage and to preserve local flora and fauna, BGNES adds.

Most of the beaches on the list are located on the island of Crete. Among them is Halikounas—a picturesque two-kilometre sandy beach in the southwestern part of Corfu, situated between the Ionian Sea and Lake Korission. It is known for its dunes, shallow waters and strong winds, which make it a popular spot for kite surfing and windsurfing. The area features juniper and cedar forests, and the lake is an important habitat for over 100 bird species, including herons.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov