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The Regions This Week
June 30, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 6
Southeast Europe
Turkey’s exports to Qatar have tripled since the
diplomatic crisis that erupted when several Gulf Cooperation Council members cut ties with the Doha government. Exports to Qatar amounted to $32.5mn since June 5, of which $12.5mn was food.
Serbia’s parliament elected Ana Brnabic prime minister, giving the country its first female and first openly gay prime minister. 157 of Serbia’s 250 MPs voted for Brnabic’s new cabinet, which will have 18 ministries and three ministers without portfolio.
Only 44.7% of people living in Bosnia & Herze- govina recognise it as their homeland, a survey showed. The result shows the outcome of years of nationalist tensions, constantly provoked and increased by the leaders of Bosnia’s main ethnic parties.
Albania’s Socialist Party will form a new govern- ment after it won a majority in the June 26 elec- tion. The Socialists increased their seats, while support for the opposition Democrats slumped.
Croatia’s economic sentiment indicator rose slightly in June after dipping during the previous two months. The increase in June was influenced by rising confidence in industry, retail and services.
Turkish lender Yapi Kredi Bankasi sold a non- performing loan portfolio with face value of TRY546mn (€136mn) for just TRY27mn to Istanbul Varlik Yonetim. It follows NPL bundle sales by fel- low Turkish banks Garanti Bankasi and Akbank.
Kosovo’s GDP increased by 3.9% y/y in the first quarter of 2017, speeding up from a 3% y/y rise in the last quarter of 2016. The highest growth was reported in the mining and quarrying sector.
The president of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska
is being investigated over €200,000 in cash he brought into the country in May. The State Inves-
tigation and Protection Agency wants to deter- mine where President Milorad Dodik obtained the money.
Serbia’s Delta Holding started building a €70mn shopping centre in Banja Lukax. This will be Delta Holding’s biggest investment to date in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska.
Greece threatened to block Albania’s EU acces- sion progress after a rock from the Greek town of Filiates was included among rocks from various Albanian regions in a display in Tirana’s central square. Athens said the move was a “provocation” and represented “concealed irredentism”.
Former Transnistrian president Evgheni Shev- chuk fled the unrecognised republic after MPs voted to strip him of his immunity. Shevchuk is be- ing investigated in five separate corruption cases.
Italian utility A2A is in talks on exiting its invest- ment in Montenegro’s EPCG. The Italian company has an option to sell its 41.7% stake to the Monte- negrin government for €250mn between June and September this year.
Western Balkans countries took the first steps towards creating a customs union. The so-called Protocol Five, on facilitating trade in goods, should come into effect by the end of 2017.
Canada’s Gabriel Resources will file a
€3.8bn claim against Romania, accusing the country of violating investment treaties regard- ing its Rosia Montana project. Conflicts between rival political factions as well as strong opposition from environmentalists have ensured the gold and silver project never got off the ground.
Workers at Serbia’s Fiat factory went on strike,
demanding higher wages and changes to the way work is organised. They say they have been forced to take on extra tasks after around 700 workers took voluntary redundancy in 2016.