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Two decades after the Thessaloniki Summit – a milestone in the European Union’s relations with the Western Balkans, when the European perspective for the countries of the region was announced, only Croatia became an EU member in 2013. The disappointment with the slow progress towards EU accession, the economic stagnation, the declining political will for reforms in the candidate countries for membership from the Western Balkans and the so-called “enlargement fatigue” create opportunities for other geopolitical players, most notably the Russian Federation and China, to intervene. Russia has long cultivated close ties with Serbia and other Slavic allies in the Balkans, a region at the crossroads of East and West. Russian influence in Serbia is based on three pillars: 1) Russia as a permanent member of the UN Security Council; 2) The Russian Federation as the main supplier of energy in the region; 3) historical, cultural and political ties between the country and countries with an Orthodox tradition. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has forced the governments of the Western Balkan countries to take a clear stand against the aggressor, while the EU tries to give a new impetus to the enlargement process and strengthens its presence in the region. However, Serbia continues to follow a complex and contradictory policy. Although the country supports the UN resolutions condemning the aggression of the Russian Federation and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, it refrains from applying the EU sanctions in response to the actions of the Russian Federation. The reason for this is the Russian support on the issue of Kosovo, which is of primary importance for the Balkan country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the brief history of the Serbian consulate in Serres in 1897–1899 as a failed attempt at state-building. Drawing on evidence from recently published materials by the Serbian State Archives, the article argues that the Serbian consuls in Serres, Branislav Nušić and Sima Avramović, played an important role in the efforts to promote Serbian national identity and defend Serbian political interests in Ottoman Macedonia. The consulate in Serres was part of an expanding Serbian diplomatic network in Macedonia, which proved instrumental to other Serbian initiatives, such as the creation of new schools and the appointment of Serbian priests in the region. The Serbian consular activities in Serres formed an aspect of a wide-ranging transnational strategy of deploying consulates across Macedonia in the wake of the Serbian-Bulgarian War of 1885. Such institutions served to advance national interests and protect national subjects outside the borders of the fledgling Balkan states. Reviewing recent scholarship on Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, the article concludes by comparing the Serbian example to those of other Balkan nations and suggesting further venues for comparative and entangled historical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African Swine Fever (ASF), active in Europe in domestic pigs and wild boars, has extended into the Balkans. While does not affect human health, high morbidity and mortality, coupled with costs of control and eradication, result in large national and individual costs of the disease. While ASF transmits from infected to susceptible porcines by direct contacts, it can also be spread by infected pork products and on other fomites such as contaminated transport. ASF can be maintained and spread by soft ticks. Where spread is through fomites, outbreaks can occur a long distance from origin of the virus. When infecting wild boars, spread is more local but maintenance and spread of disease in wild boars has been supported by increasing wild boar populations in Europe. As the disease spreads into the Balkans, risks of spread to Kosovo and steps which can be taken to stop its entry and, if unsuccessful, mitigate effects of the disease and control it, are studied. Legislation to control ASF in the EU is reviewed and compared with relevant legislation in place in Kosovo. Control of ASF with consideration of surveillance, movement control, carcass disposal, fomite control, biosecurity, public awareness and wild boar management. A risk assessment of ASF spreading to Kosovo considers: numbers, distribution and movements of domestic pigs in Kosovo and the wild boar population and its ability to cross Kosovo’s borders with neighbouring countries. Risk of entry and spread is considered to lack of public awareness of the disease and its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of S-allelic constitutions of autochthonous sweet cherry genotypes is an important step in molecular characterization of this material and also of enormous significance for growers and breeders, since this fruit species exhibits a gametophytic selfincompatibility, controlled by the multiallelic S-locus which prevents selffertilisation. The aim of this work was to summarize known and to reveal new data of the S-alleles in autochthonous genotypes originated in the Balkan countries - Republic of Serbia (15 genotypes), Republic of North Macedonia (8 genotypes) and Republic of Bulgaria (2genotypes). The use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with consensus primers for the second intron (PaConsIIF/ R) of S-RNase and allele-specific primers revealed eight alleles that generated the following S-allelic constitutions: S1S2 (one genotype), S1S5 (one genotype), S2S3 (five genotypes), S2S4 (one genotype), S3S4 (two genotypes), S3S6 (two genotypes), S3S9 (two genotypes), S3S12 (six genotypes), S6S9 (two genotypes), S4Sx (two genotypes) and S5Sx (one genotype). The most frequent S-allele and allelic constitution in this work were S3 and S3S12 (38.6% and 24%, resp.). Based on the obtained results, the assessed genotypes have been assigned to nine incompatibility groups. This study represents the first fundamental stage of characterization of autochthonous sweet cherry genotypes originating from aforementioned countries, which needs to be enlarged through inclusion of new landraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article analyzes and evaluates the gender balance in research and higher education in the Western Balkan countries with a view to pre-accession procedures and the need to meet the requirement to promote gender equality, including in these spheres, and to build a competent and equitable research and educational area in the region. The study shows that the Western Balkans largely meet the criterion of promoting gender equality in higher education and research and are making decisive steps towards full integration into the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the distribution and diversity of Phytophthora species in mountain river systems (from 700 to 2000 m. above sea level) of Bulgaria rhododendron "baits" were placed along the rivers in Vitosha, Plana, Ruy, Rila, Rhodopes and Balkan Mountains. The identity of the obtained isolates was determined on the basis of genetic similarities with known species. From overall 37 isolates 67% belong to Phytophthora gonapodyides, a species often isolated from rivers and riparian ecosystems. According to the literature, it demonstrates weak to moderate pathogenicity to some important for Bulgaria forest tree species, such as oak and beech by causing root rot. Its distribution must be taken into account when creating new forest stands involving sensitive species, in places with increased soil moisture and using surface water for irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]