27.12.2009 by HoisseBig.

Russia Offers to Finance Bulgaria Nuclear Site

Sofia | 10 December 2009 |

Belene construction site

Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom has announced it wants to help finance the multi-billion nuclear power project in the Bulgarian Danube town of Belene, which has stalled due to lack of funding.“We are ready to sign an agreement with Bulgaria within days,” Rosatom General Director Sergey Kirienko said, as cited by Interfax.

This is Russia’s second offer to pour money into Bulgaria’s second nuclear plant Belene after Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, gave the green light to a 3.8 billion eur loan at the end of May, according to novinite.com

Bulgaria’s previous Socialist-led cabinet picked German utility RWE for a 49 per cent stake and contracted Russia’s Atomstroyexport, French Areva and Germany’s Siemens to build the plant.  State power utility NEK has a majority stake in the plant.

But the whole project is not on hold after Bulgaria’s new government led by the GERB party has said it is not willing to provide any state guarantees for loans amid rising costs. It is currently preparing a review on whether to scrap or push ahead with the project.

This autumn RWE announced it will withdraw from the project, and since then the government has been under pressure to find new shareholders.

The new government plans to cut its shares in the project from 51 per cent to between 20 and 30 per cent, which will still allow the country to keep its blocking quota.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/24290/

Geschrieben in Economy - Wirtschaft | Keine Kommentare »

27.12.2009 by HoisseBig.

Bombay-Terrorverdächtiger arbeitete für die amerikanische Anti-Drogen-Behörde

Indische Ermittler untersuchen mögliche weitere Verbindungen David Headleys zu Geheimdiensten

Einer der Hauptverdächtigen im Fall der Terroranschläge in der indischen Filmmetropole Bombay ist David Coleman Headley, der Sohn einer amerikanischen Mutter und eines pakistanischen Diplomaten. 1998 wurde er in New York wegen Heroinschmuggels festgenommen aber bald darauf wieder freigelassen. Danach sollte er als Undercover-Agent für die amerikanische Anti-Drogen-Behörde DEA pakistanische Schmugglernetzwerke infiltrieren, schloss sich aber angeblich der islamistischen Laschkar e-Taiba (”Armee der Reinen”) an, die für die Terroranschläge verantwortlich gemacht wird.

Headley, der bis 2006 Daood Sayed Gilani hieß, hielt sich bis zwei Wochen vor den Anschlägen mehrere Monate in Bombay auf und soll dort sein westliches Äußeres und seinen neuen Namen dazu genutzt haben, potenzielle Ziele auszukundschaften. Im Oktober wurde er in Chicago festgenommen und im Dezember wegen der Vorbereitung der Anschläge angeklagt. Der Chicago Tribune zufolge wollte er vor seiner Festnahme nach Dänemark und dort Gebäude der Jyllands-Posten besichtigen – jener Zeitung die 2005 die Mohammed-Karrikaturen veröffentlichte….

http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/146810

Nichts Neues an der Front der US Geheimdienste und Behoerden, das deren eigene Leute, hinter Anschlaegen stecken.

Geschrieben in Welt News Spezial | Keine Kommentare »

27.12.2009 by HoisseBig.

Serbia Changes Border Requirements

Belgrade | 24 December 2009 | Bojana Barlovac

Map of Montenegro

As of January 1, Montenegrin nationals up to 14 years old who intend to travel to Serbia will require passports, while those aged 14 to 18 will need to present either a passport or ID card. Serbia’s daily, Vecernje Novosti, reports that the decision was made by the Serbian Interior Ministry, according to a statement released from the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly surprised by the decision and will ask for its postponement. Zeljko Stamatovic from the ministry said that such a decision “wasn’t necessary at all.”

“It is surprising that it has been issued before the forthcoming holidays, keeping in mind the crowds at the border crossings during that period,” Beta news agency quoted Stamatovic as saying.

He added that Serbia has not made any precedent to Montenegro, as the decision applies to the nationals of all neighbouring countries. However, Montenegro will not introduce reciprocal measures to Serbian nationals, according to Stamatovic.

According to Radio Free Europe, the Serbian embassy in Podgorica will also ask the Serbian Interior Ministry to postpone the implementation of the border crossing requirements until after the New Year and Christmas holidays.

“We hope that the implementation of these regulations will be delayed, but for now we do not have that information,” Serbian Consul Aleksandar Djurdjic told Radio Free Europe.

Kandidat wird ein Land aber erst, wenn alle 27 EU-Staaten dies nach Beantwortung eines langen Fragenkatalogs beschließen. Das kann zuweilen lange dauern, wie das Beispiel Montenegro zeigt. Das Land hatte im Dezember vergangenen Jahres einen Aufnahmeantrag gestellt und ist noch immer nicht Kandidat. Auch Albanien muss noch auf seinen Kandidatenstatus warten. Die Regierung in Tirana hatte im April dieses Jahres einen Beitritt beantragt. Vor wenigen Wochen hat die EU-Kommission Albanien 2280 Fragen zur Beantwortung übergeben. Sie betreffen die Entwicklung des Wirtschafts- und Justizsystems im Land.
………

Der Union stehen in den kommenden Jahren heiße Debatten bevor. Bitterarme und von Korruption geprägte Länder wie Albanien, Bosnien-Herzegowina oder das Kosovo dürften frühestens 2025 reif für einen Beitritt sein. Auf der anderen Seite kann eine Zweiklassengesellschaft auf dem Westbalkan, die sich über viele Jahre hinweg in EU-Mitglieder und Beitrittsaspiranten teilt, zu einem erheblichen politischen Risiko werden und zu neuen Instabilitäten führen. Das will niemand in Brüssel.

http://www.welt.de

Ein Artikel in Albanisch

WELT: Shqipëria në BE në 2025 me Bosnjen e Kosovën, Serbia në 2014
Shekulli Online | 26/12/2009

Shekulli

Serbia Changes Border Requirements
Belgrade | 24 December 2009 | Bojana Barlovac
Map of Montenegro
Map of Montenegro
As of January 1, Montenegrin nationals up to 14 years old who intend to travel to Serbia will require passports, while those aged 14 to 18 will need to present either a passport or ID card. Serbia’s daily, Vecernje Novosti, reports that the decision was made by the Serbian Interior Ministry, according to a statement released from the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly surprised by the decision and will ask for its postponement. Zeljko Stamatovic from the ministry said that such a decision “wasn’t necessary at all.”

“It is surprising that it has been issued before the forthcoming holidays, keeping in mind the crowds at the border crossings during that period,” Beta news agency quoted Stamatovic as saying.

He added that Serbia has not made any precedent to Montenegro, as the decision applies to the nationals of all neighbouring countries. However, Montenegro will not introduce reciprocal measures to Serbian nationals, according to Stamatovic.

According to Radio Free Europe, the Serbian embassy in Podgorica will also ask the Serbian Interior Ministry to postpone the implementation of the border crossing requirements until after the New Year and Christmas holidays.

“We hope that the implementation of these regulations will be delayed, but for now we do not have that information,” Serbian Consul Aleksandar Djurdjic told Radio Free Europe. likimit.html]http://www.shekulli.com.al/2009/12/26[/URL]

Geschrieben in Balkan (Englisch), Balkan | Keine Kommentare »