Moldova

TIRANA - Tirana is hosting the first Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit, to also be attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Albanian PM Edi Rama and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and its consequences.

There is still no agreement on the text of a declaration to be adopted at the end of the summit, Tanjug learns.

Amidst escalating tensions in the region, Transnistria, the self-proclaimed state bordering Moldova, is considering convening a new "referendum" on potential annexation by Russia. The possibility of such a move has raised concerns about the destabilization of the region and its implications for international relations.

Last week European leaders focused on EU enlargement, from the Western Balkans to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. While the EU wants closer ties with these countries, it has also made it clear that it expects reforms, particularly when it comes to issues related to the rule of law and justice.

Day 660 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

According to the Voice of America, for almost 30 years, the army of Moldova was underfunded. Also, Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. They declared themselves a militarily neutral state after gaining independence in 1991. However, the number of its soldiers constantly decreased and fell to around 6,000 soldiers.

United States Ambassador to Greece George J. Tsunis is traveling to Bulgaria on Monday and Tuesday to strengthen regional energy cooperation and infrastructure connectivity along the corridor between Greece and Ukraine.

United States Ambassador to Greece George J. Tsunis is traveling to Moldova December 5-7 and Bulgaria December 11-12, 2023 to strengthen regional energy cooperation and infrastructure connectivity along the corridor between Greece and Ukraine. These trips and a planned one to Romania in early 2024 seek to foster a more resilient, prosperous, and secure future in southeast Europe. 

BRUSSELS - In its annual report on Serbia, the European Commission says the country has made progress on judicial and media reforms and on aligning with the EU foreign policy, diplomatic sources have told Tanjug.

The report commends two recently adopted media strategy laws - the Law on Public Information and the Media and the Law on Electronic Media, the sources said.

In a dramatic turn of events, Moldova has found itself in the throes of political upheaval just hours before local elections, as authorities banned the pro-Russian "Chance" party over concerns related to national security. The decision casts a shadow of uncertainty over Sunday's elections and threatens to disrupt the political landscape of the country.

The informal inner hosted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Balkan leaders and high-ranking European officials on Monday, and the visit to Athens of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seen in Greece as a reflection of its desire to serve as a bridge between Europe and the region.