SERBIAN PRESIDENT IN KOSOVO FOR EASTER
Serbian president Boris Tadic visited Serb Orthodox Christian Decani Monastery in Kosovo for the celebration of Orthodox Easter, BalkanInsight.com reported. The visit was co-ordinated with the United Nations office in Belgrade. Tadic visited Kosovo in his capacity as Serbian president, Pristina daily Koha Ditore reported. UNMIK, the UN mission in Kosovo, however, said that the visit was personal. UNMIK spokesperson Russel Geekie said Tadic had requested an UNMIK police escort. Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu was quoted by BalkanInsight.com as saying that the visit was “designed as political propaganda, to create conflict and encourage hatred”.

POLICE SEIZE ARMS CACHE
Police arrested four Kosovo Albanians after uncovering an arms haul in a vehicle travelling from Kosovo to Macedonia on April 28. Speaking in the Kosovar capital of Pristina, police spokesman Veton Elshani said that the weapons were discovered in a car in a village in the Gjilan district. The arms were believed to be on their way to neighbouring Macedonia. Police believe that the weapons, which were given to Nato-led peacekeepers responsible for securing Kosovo’s borders, were apparently destined for extremist groups in Macedonia. The arms haul included 90 mortars and 47 rocket-propelled grenades as well as a large quantity of ammunition.

EP SAYS NAME DISPUTE SHOULD NOT BLOCK MACEDONIA’S EU BID
In a report adopted on April 23, the European Parliament reiterated that Macedonia’s bilateral name dispute with Greece should not obstruct the country’s EU accession bid. The report, by Dutch MEP Erik Meijer, was adopted by 601 votes in favour, 52 against and 30 abstentions, according to the European Parliament’s website. The report welcomes the Macedonian government’s achievements “in the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement”, which deals with the political aspects of inter-ethnic relations in the country, while noting “continuing discrimination against the Roma community”.

GREEKS CONFISCATE BULGARIAN LAMB
About two tons of lamb from Bulgaria have been confiscated in Greece, In.gr said. The lamb lacked the required veterinarian stamps for proof of origin and quality, Bulgarian news agency BTA said. In the days before Easter, when the traditional meal is made with lamb, Greek veterinarian services had stepped up control of all kinds of foodstuffs, including lamb, Bulgarian daily Dnevnik said.