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Select Briefing Summary: Europe East

Core Content

This summary highlights recent developments in Central, Eastern, and Southeast European countries, focusing on political, economic, and security-related activities. It includes updates on bilateral relations, EU-Russia dynamics, infrastructure projects, and regional cooperation initiatives.

Central European Update

Czech Republic

• On 16 May, CEZ and Elektropriveda RS signed a joint venture agreement in Bosnia-Hercegovina, aiming to increase CEZ's capacity by 7% by 2011 with an investment of EUR 1.5 billion for a thermal power plant in Gacko.
• Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek visited Georgia, agreeing on infrastructure projects for railways and roads, and showing interest in military, energy, and healthcare collaborations.

Hungary

• On 16 May, Hungarian Parliament Speaker Katalin Szili met with Kazakh officials to discuss oil and gas cooperation, investment promotion, and regular flights between Budapest and Nur-Sultan.
• Hungary favors the Kazakh-Turkmen-Russian pipeline over the EU's Nabucco gas channel due to cost efficiency.
• On 14 May, Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Goncz will meet with Azerbaijani officials to enhance economic cooperation and investment. This will be the first visit by a Hungarian foreign minister to Azerbaijan since 1992.
• Gyorgy Gilyan and Bojan Pajtic signed an agreement to boost economic cooperation between Hungary and Vojvodina, including the establishment of an economic council and EU fund applications.

Poland

• Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski visited Baghdad, discussing security with Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki and visiting Polish troops in Diwaniyah.
• Poland will maintain its veto on renewing the EU-Russia partnership agreement unless EU members show unity on energy security.
• On 14 May, U.S. and Polish officials held initial talks on U.S. missile defense installations in the CEE region, with the next meeting in Warsaw.

Slovenia

• Slovenian and Italian Foreign Ministers signed an agreement on energy, environment, and transportation cooperation, including a ministerial committee and potential LNG terminals in Italy.
• Prime Minister Janez Jansa met with Polish PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski to discuss enhancing bilateral trade, EU-Russia relations, and support for EU enlargement in the Western Balkans.

Slovakia

• Slovak industry experienced the second-fastest production growth in the EU, increasing by 12.6% year-to-date, compared to the EU average of 3.9%.
• Slovak Foreign Minister Jan Kubis met with Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica to discuss the proposed UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo.
• A NATO joint exercise was held at the Slia Airbase in Slovakia, involving British and Slovak air units, to improve interoperability.

Baltic States Update

Estonia

• Russia resumed cyber attacks against Estonian websites following diplomatic tensions over the removal of a Soviet WWII monument.
• The online banking services of SEB Eesti Uhispank were blocked for several hours.
• Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet called for enhanced EU participation in Kosovo and Afghanistan missions, emphasizing cooperation between NATO and the EU.
• Paet visited Lithuania to discuss energy security, EU and NATO issues, and regional relations with Russia and the South Caucasus.

Lithuania

• Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas will meet with Estonian and Latvian counterparts at the Baltic Assembly summit, focusing on workforce migration and economic migration issues.
• Lithuania has been leading the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan's Ghor province since 2005.
• Vaitiekunas opposed a new EU-Russian cooperation agreement due to Russia's actions in the past, including oil supply disruptions and cyber-attacks.

Latvia

• Latvian Defense Minister Edgars Rinkevics is on an official visit to Japan to initiate political and military consultations.
• On 11 May, Latvia signed a cooperation declaration with Moldova, focusing on political, economic, and judicial cooperation, particularly in aligning with EU standards.

Southeast European Update

Bulgaria

• Polls indicate the ruling Socialist Party and Sofia Mayor Boiko Borisov's movement are leading in the upcoming EU parliamentary elections.
• Bulgaria took over the chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) from Croatia, with Montenegro joining as a new member.
• Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev emphasized stability, regional cooperation, and EU interaction as priorities for the Bulgarian chairmanship.

Romania

• Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu met with Lithuanian and Georgian counterparts to discuss Russian military presence in Moldova and its implications for EU-Russia relations.
• He also met with EU Special Representative for Moldova, Kalman Mizsei, to discuss Transnistria and support Moldova's EU aspirations.
• Romania is working to strengthen trade and energy projects with Germany, including the Constanta-Trieste oil pipeline and the Nabucco gas pipeline.

Croatia

• Croatian Defense Minister Berislav Roncevic attended the EU Troika meeting on security and defense policy in Brussels.
• Germany's Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung met with Croatian, Macedonian, and Turkish officials, highlighting Croatia's participation in peace missions and its path to NATO membership.
• U.S. Under-Secretary Nicholas Burns visited Zagreb, reaffirming Washington's support for Croatia's NATO membership and its expected invitation at the 2008 Bucharest summit.

Other Developments

Serbia

• Recently elected Serbian Parliament Speaker Tomislav Nikolic resigned after a motion for his dismissal was submitted by the new cabinet.
• The EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn welcomed the formation of a pro-democratic government in Serbia, viewing it as a step toward resuming Stabilization and Association talks.
• The new Serbian government includes the Democratic Party (DS), the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), New Serbia (NS), and G17 Plus, with 22 ministries.

About Select Briefing

• Produced by the CSIS New European Democracies Project, a nonpartisan, nonproprietary research initiative.
• Focuses on daily developments in East, Central, and Southeast Europe.
• Highlights news from new EU member states and countries set to join in future enlargement rounds.
• The team includes Janusz Bugajski (Director), Ilona Teleki (Deputy Director), Milena Staneva (Research Associate and Editor), and Research Interns Besian Bočka, Jasenka Jocic, Adrieen Petrovics, and Rossen Tsanov.