SOFIA The Bulgarian government has confirmed the country’s plans to adopt the euro as its official currency on 1 January, 2024, without a transitional preparatory period – all institutions and shops in the country will be obliged to accept payments in euros from the first moment of its adoption. Read more. /// ZAGREB Croatia mostly exports medicine, handguns to US. The imminent visa waiver for Croatian citizens and the advanced negotiations on double taxation avoidance are a good basis to strengthen trade and investments between the US and Croatia, Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP) president Mihael Furjan said on Wednesday. His comments came at a conference organised by HUP in cooperation with the US Embassy in Croatia and two consulting companies – the Armatus Prudentia and Trans-Atlantic Market Development – which are engaged in helping Croatian businesses to be implemented into the US market. (Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr) /// LJUBLJANA Report shows media in Slovenia systematically undermined by government. A coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups has warned that the Slovenian government is overseeing an increasingly systematic effort to undermine critical media, in a report released just a day before Slovenia takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU. Read more. /// BELGRADE Former Serbian state security heads sentenced to 12 years each. The Hague court sentenced on Wednesday the former heads of the State Security Service (SDB) of Serbia, Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović Frenki, to 12 years in prison each for the crimes of the Red Berets against the non-Serb population in Bosanski Šamac in the spring of 1992. Read more. /// SARAJEVO Russia marginalised at UN Security Council session over Bosnia envoy. Moscow stood alone in opposing the appointment of the new High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, German politician Christian Schmidt, while the US representative said the appointment was a done deal and that Schmidt would take office on 1 August. The UN Security Council on Tuesday discussed Schmidt’s appointment at the request of the permanent representative of the Russian Federation, Vasily Nebenzya, who said that all sides in BiH and the UN Security Council should give their consent for Schmidt’s appointment, which, he said, had not happened. (Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr) /// SKOPJE | ZAGREB Croatia supports North Macedonia in European hopes. Croatia supports opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia as soon as possible, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at a meeting with North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski in Zagreb. Read more. /// TIRANA | ZAGREB Milanovic: Albania’s majority Muslim population slowing down EU membership bid. President Zoran Milanović has said the delays tp Albania’s EU membership bid could be attributed to the fact that the majority of the Albanian population is Muslim. One should decide whether a country whose population is mainly Muslim can be an EU member or whether their journey towards the EU should be stalled, said Milanović, adding that such a country can and must be a member. Croatia’s president warned that delaying the process could make some people understand different messages and opt for different directions. (Zeljko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr) | 