TRUCK FEES
As of September 1, all Bulgarian trucks have to pay a transit fee of 83 euro when entering Turkey. The fee was imposed by Turkish authorities in response to Bulgaria's decision to introduce a similar measure against Turkish cargo companies. As of July 1, Bulgaria started charging Turkish trucks an 83 euro transit fee. According to the Turkish side, Bulgaria's move was a breach of a 1979 Bulgarian-Turkish bilateral agreement on road transit.

CHINESE FM IN BULGARIA
Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi arrived on an official two-day visit to Sofia at the invitation of Bulgarian counterpart Ivailo Kalfin on August 31. Jiechi's visit to Bulgaria had an "important and stimulating meaning" for the further development and consolidation of the excellent ties between Bulgaria and China, Kalfin said after meeting him. This was the first official visit of a Chinese foreign minister to Bulgaria in 13 years.

SERBIA CANDIDATE 2009
Serbia could receive the status of an European Union candidate state in 2009 if it meets all the prerequisites, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso told Serbian president Boris Tadic in Brussels on September 3, website Balkan Insight reported. Serbia's cabinet, which took office in July, has repeatedly said that the country hopes to achieve candidate status by the end of 2008.