United States

The EU cannot plug the holes in Ukraine's economy, according to Bulgarian socialist MEP Ivaylo Kalfin.

Speaking at a meeting with Bulgarian journalists in Brussels, Kalfin argued that Ukraine could get assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the IMF was the body which could solve the country's immediate problems.

CUPRIJA - The municipality of Cuprija on Wednesday signed an agreement on land transfer rights with the Directorate for Property and a memorandum on understanding with the German division of US-based Truck-Lite company, creating conditions for the first factory to open in the town in four decades.

CANCUN - Serbia's national water polo team will compete at the FINA Water Polo World Cup in Kazakhstan this summer in the Group A with Montenegro, the U.S. and South Africa, the draw in Cancun decided on Friday.

Group B comprises Croatia, Hungary, Australia and Kazakhstan.

FINA World Cup will be held in Almaty from August 19 to 24.

BELGRADE - The newly-appointed President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Serbia Stacey Kennedy said that the business association will continue improving the business climate in Serbia so as to attract investors.

BELGRADE - The regional conference on prevention of corruption on border crossings opened in Belgrade on Thursday.

The conference is hosted by the U.S. Embassy and it gathers representatives of the police, Prosecutor's Offices and customs services of Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Romania.

BELGRADE - The police arrested three foreigners in Kraljevo, central Serbia, within the action aimed at provision of international legal assistance to Great Britain authorities, Serbian Prosecutor for Organised Crime Miljko Radisavljevic said.

The action was conducted in several countries against an international organised criminal ring involved in frauds, Radisavljevic told Tanjug.

BELGRADE - The Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a concert in Belgrade this week as part of the "Pika - Tocka - Tacka" cycle, a collaboration between the national philharmonics of three countries in the region.

The euro-area economy will continue to lag behind its main competitors, the U.S. and China, this year and next as high levels of unemployment and debt hinder the currency bloc’s recovery.

Montenegro is to get a new 23rd municipality after parliament verified a government decision adopted last December to grant municipal status to Gusinje.

The small town in northern Montenegro, near Albania, which has only around 2,000 inhabitants but a large diaspora in the US, is mainly home to ethnic Bosniaks and Albanians.

The Economy Minister, Ivan Vrdoljak, on Monday announced a public tender for a concession to explore Croatia’s Adriatic coast for oil and gas.