Stefan Fuele

Bosnian lawmakers on Thursday backed a reshuffled government composed of ministers from a new multi-ethnic coalition pledging to implement reforms sought by the European Union.

Armenia warned Azerbaijan it was ready for war as tensions soared Monday between the ex-Soviet foes after Baku pardoned and promoted an Azerbaijani officer who axed an Armenian soldier to death.

European Union diplomats are expressing growing concern at what they see as the increasingly militant stance taken by Turkey's ruling Islamists.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission recommended on Wednesday that Serbia become a candidate to join the European Union as a reward for democratic reforms and the capture of war crimes fugitives, but expressed concern that Turkey's membership drive had stalled.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission recommended on Wednesday that Serbia become a candidate to join the European Union as a reward for democratic reforms and the capture of war crimes fugitives, but expressed concern that Turkey's membership drive had stalled.

Ukrainian prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a seven-year sentence for opposition leader and ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko in an abuse of power trial that has undermined Kiev's budding relations with the EU.

Ukraine on Friday placed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko under arrest for contempt of court, in a dramatic twist to her abuse of power trial, denounced by her allies as politically motivated.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish relations with the European Union "will freeze" if Cyprus takes over the EU presidency in July 2012 without a solution to the divided island's future, Turkey's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Croatia took a giant step towards European Union membership Friday, winning a green light from Brussels to join in mid-2013, a move raising hopes for other Balkan nations knocking at the EU door.

Europe is looking to pump 1.2 billion euros of extra aid into fledgling democracies spawned by the Arab Spring as well as those on its eastern flank, according to a policy U-turn unveiled Wednesday.

The European Union is failing to act fast enough to help Tunisia overcome economic hardship that has fuelled an exodus, and few states are willing to share the burden to ease the migratory flow, officials say.

The European Commission on Tuesday unveiled new policy guidelines towards Arab neighbours on its southern flank aimed at avoiding errors of the past by linking aid to political and economic reform.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan tries to revive Turkey's flagging European Union entry bid in a trip to Germany and Brussels this week, but a stalemate over Cyprus means a breakthrough is very unlikely.

Tunisia's interim government said Tuesday it had called up reservists to bolster the army as it confronts pockets of unrest and struggles to meet demands for democratic reforms after a popular uprising.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign ministry denied a media report Friday that Ankara had agreed with the European Union to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships in a deal to advance its EU accession process.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's fisheries chief is considering blocking Icelandic fishing vessels from landing some catches in European Union ports in a row over mackerel that threatens Iceland's bid to join the bloc, an EU source said.

Serbia to boycott Nobel peace prize ceremony for Chinese dissident. Serbia's decision to boycott the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honoring imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo triggered criticism Wednesday from human rights activists and the European Union ? which expressed shock that the candidate for EU entry would meet China's demands.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union told Croatia Tuesday that its negotiations to join the bloc had entered their "final" stage," while chiding Turkey for its failure to improve relations with Cyprus.

But the deal demanded stepped-up cooperation from Belgrade with the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and renewed efforts to bring in notorious Balkans war criminals such as Ratko Mladic.

Serbia takes step toward EU membership; success hinges on search for war crimes suspect. The European Union agreed Monday to review in detail Serbia's request to join the bloc, an application that is warmly endorsed by Washington but that divides EU members.