Crimea

Acclaimed Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica will perform with his orchestra on August 22 in Russian-annexed Crimea, the artist told Russian news agency Tass on Tuesday, despite threats of sanctions.

"I always do what I think is right," Kusturica told TASS, adding that he is "not frightened in any way".

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Nov. 16 to withdraw Russia from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which rules on such grave charges as genocide and crimes against humanity.

Russia in 2000 signed the Rome treaty that established the Hague-based court but never ratified it.

BELGRADE - The cases of Crimea and Kosovo, whose declaration of independence opened room for redrawing of borders in the world and served as encouragement for secessionist movements, should not be viewed in equal light, participants said during the debate entitled 'From Kosovo to Crimea: Unilateral moves and manipulation involving the right to self-determination'.

Kiev says Russia has "4,000 soldiers" at border

KIEV -- The Ukrainian government has announced that Russia amassed about 4,000 troops stationed in Crimea, on the border with Ukraine.

As was expected, the NATO Summit, which took place in Wales on Sept. 4-5, prioritized the ongoing Ukrainian crisis with Russia and the growing threat posed by extremist jihadists in the Middle East as its top immediate issues. Two important decisions were made by the leaders at the summit.

Russia plans to issue a banknote dedicated to Crimea, a senior central bank official said on Wednesday, the latest expression of national pride over Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine.
   

SEECP adopts Ukraine document, Serbia "has reservations"

BUCHAREST -- Parliamentary delegations of the Southeast European Cooperation Process member states adopted in Bucharest on Sunday a statement about the situation in Ukraine.

BELGRADE – Parliamentary delegations of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) member states adopted in Bucharest on Sunday a statement about the situation in Ukraine, and the Serbian delegation did not block it despite having reservations about positions taken regarding Crimea, head of the Serbian delegation Veroljub Arsic said on the same day.

BELGRADE - Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin noted on Thursday that Serbia had the right reaction to the events in Crimea with no adverse effects on Belgrade-Moscow relations.