Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 2 - "The European Political Community summit provides an excellent platform for countries that are not yet members of the EU. Montenegro is a frontrunner, and I believe this is an excellent opportunity for my country to send a very clear message: we want to become the 28th EU member state by 2028." Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović stated this during his arrival at the European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen. The head of state then stated that he will request…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 2 - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Federal Chancellor Frederich Merz met on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit. In addition to the most recent developments in Ukraine and the Middle East, the meeting included an in-depth discussion of European competitiveness, particularly in the automotive sector, ahead of the European Council's climate issues debate on October 23 and 24. The two leaders also discussed preparations for the upcoming bilateral…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 1 - The German Federal Prosecutor's Office has issued an arrest warrant for three suspected Hamas militants, two of whom are German citizens. Since at least the summer of 2025, the three had been sourcing firearms and ammunition from Germany for the organisation. The weapons were intended to be used to launch attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany. Investigators discovered several firearms, including an AK-47, as well as ammunition, during their searches. The…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 1 - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has rejected the idea of switching from unanimity to qualified majority voting to open the EU accession negotiations, which European Council President Antonio Costa intends to discuss at the Copenhagen summit. "Never. Ever. There is a very strict legal procedure. "We must follow it," the prime minister stated upon arriving at the summit. "Ukraine is a heroic country, we must support it. There's no doubt about it. The problem is the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 1 - Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed her satisfaction with Bosnia and Herzegovina's adoption of the reform programme, which is required before receiving funds from the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. "I am very happy, Bosnia and Herzegovina has demonstrated the unity that it sorely needed, we have a reform programme," Kos said, as quoted by Sarajevo media. The programme was approved yesterday, the deadline set by Brussels for the disbursement of a €108…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 1 - President Petr Pavel has urged Czechs to vote on Friday, October 3rd and Saturday, October 4th to elect a new Chamber of Deputies. In his speech, which aired last night on TV 24, he emphasised that the Czech Republic requires a government that will ensure its security and sovereignty. "We require a government that will continue to ensure the security of our country. Today, it is strengthened by our strong ties to the EU and, most importantly, by our membership in NATO,…

(ANSA) - UDINE, 30 SET - Carinthia, the Austrian region bordering Friuli Venezia Giulia, will contribute to the development of the country's first Hydrogen Valley, part of the 3,300-km H2-South Corridor, which links North Africa to Germany via Italy and Austria. The news was reported today by Standortmarketing Kärnten—the organization responsible for Carinthia's regional marketing—in a written statement. The plan comprises 17 projects (5 in Carinthia, 6 in Styria, and 6 in Upper Austria) with…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 30 - The German Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed the arrest in Poland of a man named Vladimir Z., who is accused of participating in the operation to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines. A European arrest warrant was issued for him. He is thought to be a professional diver who allegedly used his skills to assist the group that blew up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines near the island of Bornholm in September 2022. The man, 46, is a Ukrainian citizen with a residence…

(ANSA) - ROME, 30 SET - Facilitating strategic reflection among key players and producing concrete proposals to be presented at subsequent European meetings of the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine (WA4U) and to the relevant institutions: this is the objective of the debate on the role of the so-called Coalition of the Willing in supporting Ukraine and the country's future in post-conflict reconstruction, organised in Rome on 3 October by the Centro Studi Internazionali (CSI), WA4U's Italian partner,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 30 - A handshake between Argentine President Javier Milei and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has sparked heated debate on social media in the South American country. Buenos Aires has never recognised Kosovo's independence, which it declared unilaterally without agreement with Serbia, because it believes it would set a dangerous precedent and jeopardise the chances of reaching a political solution for the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, which are administered by the United Kingdom.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 30 - Holders of Russian diplomatic or service passports without national accreditation will be unable to enter Czech territory. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky made the announcement following the government's approval of his proposal. Lipavsky justified his decision by citing increased sabotage by Russia. He described this initiative as an example for other Schengen countries to follow. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 30 - The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Ukrainian intelligence services of planning a "sensational provocation" in Poland, including a commando attack and potential drone strikes on "critical infrastructure," with the goal of blaming Moscow and Belarus and thus dragging NATO into a conflict with Russia. According to a statement cited by TASS, the actions are expected to be carried out by commandos comprised of fighters from Russian and Belarusian armed…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 30 - Albania is "a successful example of European integration," said Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI), during Albanian Ambassador Anila Bitri Lani's visit to the CEI headquarters, which included a discussion about the path to EU membership. Dal Mas praised Tirana's progress, emphasising the importance of speeding up EU enlargement for the stability and credibility of the European project. Bitri Lani thanked the CEI for its assistance…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 29 - Maksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian journalist and human rights defender, has won the Vaclav Havel Prize, which is awarded annually by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly during its autumn session in memory of "the architect of the 1989 Velvet Revolution and an enduring symbol of opposition to despotism." For the thirteenth edition, the other two finalists were Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli and Azerbaijani journalist Ulvi Hasanli, both of whom are currently…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 29 - PMP Industries, an Italian group, has opened a new production facility and integrated foundry in Laktaši, Bosnian Serb entity (Republika Srpska) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company operates in the Balkan country since 2006. The €35 million investment marks a significant milestone in the group's global development strategy, which includes supply chain reorganisation. Primary processing in Bosnia will ensure that production continues at the Coseano (Udine) plant,…

(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, SEP 29 - Victory for Moldova's ruling pro-EU party at key parliamentary elections was a "loud and clear" message from voters despite Russian meddling, EU chief Antonio Costa said Monday. "The people of Moldova have spoken and their message is loud and clear. They chose democracy, reform, and a European future, in the face of pressure and interference from Russia. The EU stands with Moldova. Every step of the way," European Council head Costa wrote on X. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA-AFP) - FRANKFURT AM MAIN, SEP 29 - German airline group Lufthansa said Monday it will cut 4,000 jobs, nearly four percent of its workforce -- a move underscoring the slump gripping Europe's largest economy. Lufthansa said the majority of the job cuts would be in Germany and take place by 2030, targeting administrative rather than operational positions. The group, which employs around 103,000 people, includes Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlines, as well as the recently acquired…

(ANSA) - ROMA, SEP 29 - Moldova's ruling pro-EU party won the parliamentary elections with more than 50 percent of the vote, according to official results released today. With more than 99.5 percent of the ballots counted, the Action and Solidarity Party led by President Maia Sandu won 50.03 percent of the vote, compared with 24.26 percent for the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc. (ANSA).

by Valentina Brini (ANSA) - BRUXELLES, SEP 28 - Polls closed at 9 p.m. local time, with lines of voters still waiting in front of the ballot box. Then the evening count delivered its verdict: Moldova is taking the European route, distancing itself-for the second time in a year-from Moscow's orbit. After a long run-up of fluctuating percentages, with counting almost complete, President Maia Sandu's Action and Solidarity Party gained the upper hand over the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc led by former…

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, SEP 28 - "Yesterday and today, the infrastructure related to the electoral process was the target of several attempted cyber attacks." Moldova's Premier Dorin Recean denounced this on Facebook, explaining that hackers targeted the official portal of the Central Election Commission and several polling stations abroad."All attacks have been detected and neutralized in real time, without affecting the election process," but, he pointed out, "currently the national cybersecurity…

(ANSA) - CHISINAU, SEP 28 - Polls open in Moldova for legislative elections that are shaping up to be a watershed for the country in the direction of Europe or Russia. Citizens will be able to go to the polls from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anticipation for the polls in the former Soviet republic that oscillates between Western integration and a return to the Russian orbit. Polls tell of a neck-and-neck race: the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (Pas) of President Maia Sandu and Premier Dorin Recean,…

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, SEP 27 - "We see enormous pressure from Moscow to interfere and condition the elections, the territorial integrity and independence of our republic is at stake." Moldova's President Maia Sandu on the microphones of German public broadcaster Zdf raises the alarm on the eve of the crucial vote for the fate of the small former Soviet republic nestled between Ukraine and Romania. The country goes to the polls tomorrow to renew the 101 seats in its parliament. Moldova's approximately…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 26 - Moldova's electoral commission has come under cyberattack just days before the vote. Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Doina Nistor confirmed the attack in an interview with Politico, accusing Russia of attempting to "destabilise democracy" in Moldova through a hybrid campaign planned "months in advance."" The vulnerability has been "resolved," Nistor assured, but fears remain high: the country goes to the polls on Sunday amid alleged Russian interference. President Maia…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 26 - One week before the legislative elections on October 3 and 4, the populist movement Discontented Citizen Action (ANO), led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babis and the clear favourite, is losing ground. This is according to a survey conducted by the Stem agency, the results of which were released today. With 28% of voting intentions, Babis' movement had its lowest result since January, but it still leads the polls. The centre-right coalition Spolu ("Together"), led by…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 26 - Sogin has completed its technical consultancy work for Javys, a Slovak state-owned company that is decommissioning the V1 nuclear power plant in Bohunice, which began in 2015. Sogin announced this, stating that for the past ten years, it has assisted the Slovak company with engineering activities, monitoring the decommissioning programme, and assisting with the preparation of documentation for the decommissioning and decontamination of the nuclear power plant, which has…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 26 - The Slovak Parliament today approved a constitutional amendment that limits same-sex couples' rights and tightens gender transition rules. The amendment also ensures that national law takes precedence over European Union law. Since coming back to power in 2023, nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico has frequently clashed with the 27-nation bloc. He has faced protests in EU and NATO member states due to his rights restrictions. The amendment was approved by 90 votes to…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 26 - Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova condemned Bulgaria's persistent blockade of Skopje's EU accession negotiations at the United Nations, reaffirming her country's firm determination to continue on the path to European integration. "North Macedonia's EU accession process has been stalled for decades and continues to be so, not because of the Copenhagen criteria, but for subjective and nationalistic reasons," the president stated in her address to the United…

(ANSA) - ROMA, SEP 26 - "Due to rising tensions, the ongoing war in the region and repeated arbitrary arrests," the Polish Foreign Ministry "advises against any travel to Belarus" and "urges Polish citizens remaining in Belarus to leave its territory immediately using available commercial and private means." This was communicated by the Embassy of Poland in Minsk. "In case of a drastic deterioration of the security situation, border closures or other circumstances," it reads, "evacuation may prove…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 25 - Slovenia barred Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the country on Thursday, following the declarations of personae non gratae by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in mid-July, according to Slovenian news agency STA. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Neva Grašič stated that the government took this action in response to the ongoing proceedings against Israel's prime minister for war crimes and crimes…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, SEP 25 - The Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) will be shut down and disconnected from the grid on Saturday night for a 29-day scheduled maintenance outage, following the completion of its 34th fuel cycle and 511 days of continuous full-power operation, according to Slovenian news agency STA. The work will cost between EUR 80 million and EUR 100 million and will be completed by approximately 600 employees with the assistance of more than 1,000 contractors from Slovenia, Croatia,…