Greece: De-escalation means withdrawal of Turkish ships from Greek shelf

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that Greece and Turkey have agreed to have talks within the Alliance to de-escalate tensions between them, Greek television Sky reported. "After discussions with Greek and Turkish leaders, an agreement for negotiations in NATO to establish mechanisms to avoid accidental clashes in the Eastern Mediterranean and prevent military conflict was reached," Stoltenberg was quoted by BTA. Turkey confirmed his words, but Greek diplomatic sources denied them.

"The information spread about alleged technical talks within NATO is untrue. We have supported Stoltenberg's intention to work for de-escalation. However, de-escalation could only mean the immediate withdrawal of all Turkish ships from the Greek continental shelf," the sources said.

Serbia and Kosovo negotiate with the White House

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti have been negotiating in Washington in order to normalize bilateral relations.

Yesterday on Twitter, United States National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien announced that progress had been made towards normalizing economic relations, which means jobs for young people. Topics discussed included economic issues, infrastructure projects linking Belgrade and Pristina, the opening of a US Development Fund office in Belgrade, and Pristina's inclusion in the Balkan Economic Union, the so-called Little Schengen.

However, the Serbian delegation refused to recognize Kosovo's independence.

Greek economy shrinks by 15.2%

The Greek statistical service has reported a sharp contraction of the Greek economy by 15.2% in the second quarter of 2020. According to the economic daily Naftemporiki, this indicator has been the worst since 1995, BTA writes. This contraction is in line with the government's forecasts made after the closure of the Greek economy due to Covid-19. Expectations for the overall annual decline in GDP remain at 8%.

Another Greek paper, Kathimerini, points out that the pandemic has not only drastically reduced the number of foreign tourists in Greece, but also changed their composition. For the first time this year, most guests come from France, surpassing the number of Germans and the British. In August, passenger traffic through Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos was 60% lower than in the same month in 2019.

President of Montenegro joins opposition

Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović said he and his Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro agreed with the results of the parliamentary elections and went into opposition. This was announced by the state-owned Radio and Television of Montenegro, quoted by Focus Agency. His party won the election but lost power because it did not gather enough votes to form a cabinet. According to preliminary data, 41 seats will be given to the three-member coalition, which has so far been in opposition - "For the Future of Montenegro", "Peace is Our Nation" and "Black on White", which is ready to form a cabinet. The Democratic Party of Socialists and its coalition partners will get 40 seats, which is one seat less than before. "We will not argue with the will of the citizens. We respect it, but we will continue to fight passionately for our policy from the opposition seats," Đukanović said in a television interview.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English: Al. Markov