ZAGREB, Croatia -- Participants in the fifth Croatia Summit voiced support Saturday (July 10th) for efforts by countries in the Western Balkans to join the EU and NATO. On day two of the conference, held in Dubrovnik, they asked Brussels to confirm the region's progress towards EU membership. Participants also discussed global challenges confronting Southeast Europe during this time of economic crisis. Attending the summit were the prime ministers of Croatia, Kosovo, France, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Albania as well as foreign ministers of countries in the region. Serbia boycotted the meeting because Kosovo sent representatives. (Danas, FoNet, DPA - 10/07/10)

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Bosnian Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj said on Saturday (July 10th) that Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will delay its EU membership application until it receives more positive signals from Brussels. Speaking on the sidelines of the Croatia Summit, he told Reuters that EU membership remains BiH's strategic goal, but noted that "the European Commission is very reluctant to accept the application ... as long as the OHR [Office of the High Representative] is present." Alkalaj added that the general elections in October amount to another delaying factor. (Reuters, RTRS, Srna - 10/07/10)

ZAGREB, Croatia “ The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) decided on Saturday (July 10th) to leave the ruling coalition led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). After a party meeting, HSLS leader Darinko Kosor told journalists it was because his party was unhappy with the government's work. He dismissed media allegations that the HSLS will now join the opposition coalition led by the Social Democratic Party. Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said her government has enough support in parliament even without the two HSLS lawmakers, and said there will be no early elections. (HRT, Radio.net, Nova TV, HINA, Vecernji list - 10/07/10)

STRASBOURG, France -- Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, whose country took over the rotating EU presidency on July 1st, reiterated on Wednesday (July 7th) that the EU will assess the integration of the Western Balkan countries individually, on a state-by-state basis. There has been speculation that after Croatia's expected accession, the EU would wait to accept the rest of the Western Balkans en masse, so that countries capable of implementing necessary reforms faster would have to wait for more sluggish EU candidates. Leterme told EP members that each country will be assessed on its merits, adding there are no shortcuts to accession. (Tanjug, B92, MIA - 07/07/10)

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Three opposition parties held a big rally in the town of Krusevac on Monday (June 28th), demanding early elections. The Serbian Progressive Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia and New Serbia say this was only the first in a series of demonstrations they plan throughout Serbia. Earlier this year, the three parties collected one million signatures in support of their initiative and forwarded them to the government in a symbolic show of dissatisfaction. The three lack enough votes in parliament to topple the cabinet. (Tanjug, RTS, B92 - 28/06/10)

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Several thousand people gathered in downtown Skopje on Sunday (June 27th) to protest government policies. Participants in the demonstration, organised by the main opposition party SDSM, blamed the VMRO-DPMNE-led cabinet for the economic situation, and criticised Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski for failing to advance Macedonia's EU and NATO bids. The SDSM wants early elections, but only after NATO's November summit, so as to not affect aspirations to join the Alliance. (Deutsche Welle - 28/06/10; Sitel, Forum, Alsat M - 27/06/10)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- Parliament's foreign policy committee on Thursday (June 24th) okayed opening the judiciary negotiation chapter of EU accession talks with Croatia at the next inter-governmental conference. Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar says Zagreb will open this chapter by the end of the month, since the issue of Ljubljanska Banka will be discussed during talks on a separate, free movement of capital chapter. Zagreb argues that the former Ljubljanska Banka owes 172m euros to Croatian citizens who deposited funds with it before the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. Zagreb has banned Nova Ljubljanska Banka's from accessing Croatia's financial market until the issue is resolved. (HRT, HINA, Poslovni Dnevnik - 24/06/10)