Austria

Bulgaria and Austria both believe Europe needs energy diversification and support a South Stream gas pipeline project that would comply with EU law, their presidents said on Thursday.

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France's Total will start hydrocarbon drilling at the Bulgarian Black Sea block Khan Asparuh in the second half of 2015, according to Paul Sexton, Exploration Manager at Total E&P Bulgaria.

Sexton, as cited by the BGNES news agency, presented the progress of the exploration activities, saying that the company had wrapped up 3D studies and the data was yet to be analyzed.

BELGRADE - Serbia's Minister without Portfolio in charge of EU integration Jadranka Joskimovic said on Wednesday Serbia was moving towards membership in the EU so its people could have a better life, and that the concept of stabilising the European economy matched the reforms in Serbia.

EU enlargement policy "focuses on economy"

BELGRADE -- Minister without Portfolio in charge of EU integration Jadranka Joskimović says Serbia is moving towards EU membership "so its people could have a better life."

According to her, "the concept of stabilizing the European economy matched the reforms in Serbia."

Vučić opens investment conference in London

LONDON -- Aleksandar Vučić opened on Wednesday an investment conference in London, stressing that the government embarked on reforms with a clear objective.

It is to make Serbia "the most attractive investment destination in the region," the prime minister said.

Prime Minister Djukanovic has dismissed opposition claims that the government handed out a loan of 2 million euro to a notorious alleged gangster.

Addressing the public on "Prime Minister's Hour" in parliament on Tuesday, and responding to a question from opposition MP Darko Pajovic, the Prime Minister said he was not aware of any such cases.

BELGRADE - Serbia's chief EU negotiator Tanja Miscevic is hoping for good cooperation with Johannes Hahn, the Austrian politician who will officially succeed European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele on November 1.

"I am hoping for very nice cooperation with European Commission member Johannes Hahn because, first of all, he knows us very well," Miscevic told reporters.

Lending to companies in the euro zone periphery continued to fall in September, while banks in core countries kept lending more, ECB data showed on Monday, highlighting the divergence in economic strength in the bloc.

BELGRADE - Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic will hold a lecture at the London School of Economics on October 27, and on Wdnesday, he and UK State Secretary for Business Vince Cable will host a meeting about investments in Serbia, the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce has posted on its website.

BELGRADE - The 10th international conference about reconciliation, tolerance and human safety in the Balkans, organised by the European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD) of the UN University for Peace and entitled New Balkans and the EU: Peace, Development and Integration, started in Belgrade on Friday.