Patrick Moore

Also by Patrick Moore

• June 09, 2005

  Serbia and Montenegro/Bosnia: A Video Shocks Serbia

  A Serbian woman in Belgrade watching video evidence of apparent war crimes 9 June 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Thousands of Serbian television viewers recently saw a video depicting Serbian paramilitary police participating in the killing of Muslim civilians near Srebrenica in July 1995. The government took quick action against the individuals shown in the video, but the effect of the images on Serbian public opinion is mixed.

• June 06, 2005

  Balkans: Worries Over EU Enlargement

  French voters on 29 May rejected the proposed EU constitution by a clear majority, and Dutch voters did the same by an even larger margin three days later. Many people in countries hoping to join the EU fear that their chances of obtaining membership within a reasonable time frame have become slimmer as a result.

• May 18, 2005

  Kosovo: More Talks, More Models For Disputed Province

  Kosovo's status is still undecided New proposals and suggestions regarding Kosovo's future have emerged in recent weeks from several sources. The Kosovars continue to want a quick transition to independence.

• May 13, 2005

  World War II -- 60 Years After: Too Much 'Past' And Not Enough History In Former Yugoslavia

  The recent commemorations reflected the complexity of World War II's legacy across the region. Some leading historians also used the opportunity to draw important lessons from the past for today.

• May 06, 2005

  World War II -- 60 Years After: The Former Yugoslav Legacy

  The Axis occupation of former Yugoslavia and the domestic reaction to it present a complex picture. The legacy of these experiences has still not been completely overcome.

• May 05, 2005

  Balkans: A 'European' Model

  Like Balkan Stability Pact head Erhard Busek (pictured), Koschnick supports the idea of "Europeanizing" the Balkan states A former top German administrator in Bosnia-Herzegovina argued recently that most of the western Balkan states have a long way to go before qualifying for EU membership. He said he believes that regional integration is a necessary first step.

• May 02, 2005

  Serbia: Profile Of A Media 'Oligarch'

  Perhaps the closest Serbian equivalent of the Russian oligarchs is Bogoljub Karic, 50, whose media holdings center on the popular BK Television channel and the Mobtel mobile-telephone company. The latter is Serbia's largest, and his share in it alone is believed to be worth 500 million euros ($663 million).

• April 16, 2005

  Kosova: Commission Issues Independence Plan

  The plan would abolish Paddy Ashdown's post as high commissioner A new study by an international Balkan commission is one of several recent signs that many in the policy community do not want a Balkan "black hole" to emerge on the European map. The report includes a four-stage plan for Kosova's independence, but not all Kosovars might find it to their liking.

• April 14, 2005

  Serbia and Montenegro: Belgrade Gets Green Light From Brussels For Talks

  Indicted war criminal Nebojsa Pavkovic is believed to be hiding in Serbia (file photo) Serbia and Montenegro is now slated to begin formal negotiations that will take it down the long road to EU membership. The decision in Brussels is one of several signs that many do not want a Balkan "black hole" to emerge on the European map.

• April 05, 2005

  Balkans: The Former Yugoslavia And The Pope

  It was only natural that the first Slavic pope attracted particular attention in a country whose name translates as "Land of the South Slavs." He was warmly greeted by Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Slovenes, and Albanians on his visits to the region, but he never fully overcame deeply rooted mistrust by the Orthodox toward him as head of the Roman Catholic Church.

• March 30, 2005

  Bosnia-Herzegovina: Ashdown Ousts Covic From The Bosnian Presidency

  Paddy Ashdown, who is the international community's high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, announced on 29 March the removal of Dragan Covic as the Croatian member of the Bosnian Presidency. Ashdown's move once again raises fundamental questions about the future and role of the international community's protectorate in Bosnia.

• March 26, 2005

  China: Border Crossing With Kyrgyzstan Closed

  The semi-official China News Service announced in Beijing on 25 March that the Irkeshtam border trading station with Kyrgyzstan is closed and will remain so until 28 March, Reuters reported. The statement said there is "chaos" in Kyrgyzstan and that the trading post was closed "in order to guarantee the safety of passengers and goods." A second trading station along the frontier nonetheless continues to operate.

• February 16, 2005

  Analysis: Serbian President Pays Controversial Visit To Kosova

  Tadic (left) in a heavily Serb-populated village in southern Kosovo on 13 February Serbian President Boris Tadic paid a two-day visit to Serbian enclaves in Kosova on 13-14 February, seeking to show solidarity with the Serbian minority there and improve his political fortunes in what is likely to be an election year.

• February 10, 2005

  Interview: Montenegrin Foreign Minister Makes The Case For Independence

  Montenegrin Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahovic (file photo) Montenegrin Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahovic said at RFE/RL headquarters in Prague on 10 February that Montenegro wants to join the EU and NATO as an independent country and not remain "hostage" to Serbia's reluctance to cooperate with the Hague-based war crimes tribunal. He argued that Montenegro is "patient" and willing to discuss any number of possible political formulas regarding its statehood, providing that such options do not compromise its "right to international recognition." He said he believes that Serbia and Montenegro can find a better basis for understanding in a union of independent states than in the current "non-functioning" joint state.

• February 01, 2005

  Analysis: Jobs, Responsibility, And Walks -- Kosova's Serbian Cabinet Member Challenges His Critics

  Kosova's Minister for Returns Slavisa Petkovic is the only Serb in Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj's cabinet. While it is too early to tell if he will make a difference in Kosova's polarized political landscape, he has already said some things not usually heard from local Serbian politicians.

• January 28, 2005

  Analysis: Serbia's President Rejects Independence For Kosova

  President Tadic speaks to RFE/RL (file photo) Serbian President Boris Tadic told RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service in Belgrade on 21 January that independence for Kosova is "unacceptable." This view puts him at odds with a growing body of international opinion that believes that renewed violence awaits the province unless there is serious movement toward resolving its final status, which, for the ethnic Albanian majority, can mean only independence.

• January 20, 2005

  Analysis: EU's Busek Says Kosova Needs 'Europeanization'

  Erhard Busek (file photo) Austria's Erhard Busek, who heads the EU-led Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, told RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service in Prague on 18 January that the EU should have a greater role in Kosova even though it does not yet have a clear policy for the province. It remains to be seen how this idea will play among the province's ethnic Albanian majority, who generally favor a strong, continuing U.S. presence.

• January 14, 2005

  Analysis: Tense Times In Southern Serbia

  The killing of an ethnic Albanian teenager by a Serbian soldier has led to renewed tensions in southern Serbia's Presevo region. Repercussions are being felt not just in Belgrade but in Prishtina as well.

• January 10, 2005

  Analysis: No Time To Waste In Kosova

  Serbian Premier Kostunica's Kosova policies are viewed as "negative" Two prominent NGO activists -- one from Prishtina and the other from Belgrade -- have warned that it is dangerous to delay action on resolving the final status of Kosova any longer. They stress that acting soon is necessary not only for Kosova's sake, but also for that of the democratization of Serbia.

• December 18, 2004

  Analysis: Kosova -- The Fire Next Time

  President Ibrahim Rugova is a strong advocate of independence for Kosova The ethnic violence that shook Kosova on 17-18 March might well prove a harbinger of worse things to come. At the core of the problem is the demand by the ethnic Albanian majority for independence based on the principles of self-determination and majority rule.

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