France

BELGRADE – Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic met with UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia Irena Vojackova-Sollorano to discuss a donors' conference that will be held in Brussels in mid-July, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a release Saturday.

Seven ambassadors have expressed concern in a letter to the Bulgarian Parliament Speaker over restrictions proposed by the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR).

The letter, signed by the ambassadors of Austria, UK, the Republic of Korea, US, France, the Czech Republic, and Japan, was submitted to Parliament on June 30, according to reports of Sega daily.

The Bosphorus Strait that runs through Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, has been named as one of the 50 places in Europe a person should visit in their lifetime, according to Business Insider magazine.

The waterway bisecting the European and Asian shores of Istanbul was the 39th item in the list thanks to its “geographic uniqueness.”

Turkish musician, composer, writer and director Zülfü Livaneli, who was awarded France’s highest distinction, the Legion d’Honneur this week, was presented with his award at a ceremony on July 3 at the French Palace. French ambassador Laurent Bili presented the award to Livaneli.

France on Friday said it is boosting passenger screening at its airports, responding to a request from Washington for extra security for US-bound flights over fears Islamist radicals could be plotting new attacks using hard-to-detect bombs.
      

BELGRADE - Serbia is not hiding from the Russians or anybody else that it is on a European path, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has said ahead of his official visit to Moscow next week.

Ukrainain forces say at least 150 rebels have been killed during heavy fighting in the east of the country.

According to Kiev officials, the army virtually sealed off the town of Mykolayivka after attacking six posts of separatists.

Four soldiers were reportedly injured as a result, the KyivPost wrote Friday.

Prime minister: Serbia "not hiding" its policy

BELGRADE -- PM Aleksandar Vučić has told the Večernje Novosti daily that Serbia was "not hiding from Russians, or anyone else" that it is "on the European road."

Vučić ends visit to France

PARIS -- Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić conferred in Paris on Thursday with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

Their talks covered the donor conference due to take place in Brussels on July 16, as well as European affairs, economic relations, regional cooperation and "the project of metro construction," Tanjug reported.

PARIS - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic stated on Thursday, upon concluding his one-day visit to Paris, that he is very satisfied with the visit and that French Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed the determination of Paris to make a big return to the Western Balkans and Serbia, a task in which Serbia is ready to provide assistance.