Borge Brende

OSLO - Stability of the Western Balkans is substantial for development of all countries in the region and overall stability in Europe, Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic and his Norwegian counterpart Borge Brende said Wednesday.

BELGRADE - At the invitation of FM Borge Brende, Serbia's First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic is on a two-day visit to Norway, where he will speak with his counterpart and meet with members of the standing parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defence.

Dacic will also visit the headquarters of telecoms giant Telenor, which has a significant market share in Serbia.

Norway's Foreign Minister Borge Brende on Thursday reacted to Pristina's plans to turn the Kosovo Security Force into an army.

"I urge Kosovo authorities to refrain from transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an armed force without a constitutional change and an inclusive political process," Brende said in a statement.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic received on Tuesday in Belgrade Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende.

They spoke about "relations between the two countries, the migrant crisis, the situation in the region and Serbia's European path."

A meeting planned for Thursday between Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende has been canceled.

Brende has had to return to Oslo urgently after it emerged that the extremist organization Islamic State was holding a Norwegian citizen hostage.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu paid an official visit to Norway on Monday, answering an invitation of his Norwegian counterpart Borge Brende, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informed AGERPRES in a release.

Photo credit: (c) Simion MECHNO / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Aurescu's agenda included talks with Brende and with the Norwegian Parliament President Olemic Thommessen.

Ankara cannot accept "heavy criticism" from the European Union about mass detentions targeting the media, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, accusing the EU of "not being sincere" in its approach to Turkey's fight against the "parallel state."

Norway said on Friday it is tightening its economic sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine to bring them in line with the latest round of EU restrictions.

BELGRADE - It is a great responsibility to chair the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Borge Brende said in an interview for the Wednesday edition of the Belgrade-based daily Politika, adding that he is sure that Serbia is preparing well for the role it is to take on in 2015.