LUXEMBOURG (AFP) – Croatia boosted its credentials as the premier EU candidate nation yesterday, opening two more of the 35 policy chapters which aspirants must successfully navigate, the EU’s Slovenian presidency said. Both sides were keen to play down the impact that Ireland’s rejection of the EU’s reforming Lisbon Treaty could have on the membership process, as Croatia bids to become the 28th EU member state in the coming years. The opening of the accession chapters on freedom of movement for workers and social policy and employment bring to 20 the number Croatia has opened since it began formal negotiations in October 2005. “Legally there is no connection between the Lisbon Treaty and the accession of Croatia and I was surprised that I have seen some statements regarding this,” said Dimitrij Rupel, the foreign minister of Slovenia, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency. “But I can see the psychological or political complications,” of the Irish “no” vote, he added, during a joint press conference in Luxembourg.

BELGRADE (AP) – Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor has received a death threat after he coordinated the arrest of a top suspect sought by a UN court, his spokesman said yesterday. Vladimir Vukcevic, who heads Serbia’s team tasked with capturing the remaining war crimes fugitives, was threatened in a phone call from the Netherlands, said his spokesman Bruno Vekaric. Vekaric said the caller told Vukcevic he would “pay with his life” if any more Serb war crimes suspects were arrested.

ANKARA (Reuters) – The Turkish military said yesterday it had opened fire on 21 Kurdish PKK fighters trying to enter Turkey from northern Iraq. The General Staff, in a statement on its Internet site, said its forces opened fire on the guerrillas late on Monday 3 kilometers (2 miles) inside northern Iraq and most of them had been “neutralized. It gave no further details, but “neutralized” generally means killed.

Several thousand unemployed Bosnian war veterans have staged an anti-government protest in Sarajevo demanding months of welfare payments they say have not been paid. The protesters say they have not received three 75 euros ($116) monthly payments. The country’s average monthly salary is 315 euros ($486) and unemployment is about 40 percent. The protesters also want the Bosnian Croat Federation’s leadership to resign. (AP)

Indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria are making progress as both sides agreed to two more rounds under Turkish mediation next month, Turkey’s foreign minister said yesterday. Ali Babacan, who was in Luxembourg for meetings with European Union officials, said the latest round of indirect talks on Sunday and Monday were complicated, but he expressed hope they could lead to a breakthrough. “The negotiations went very successfully and, more importantly, the calendar was set for the next two meetings, which will be held in July,” Babacan told reporters. He said both sides “were very satisfied” with the negotiations to date. (AP)

The United Nations is expected to name Italian diplomat Lamberto Zannier this week as the new head of its Kosovo mission, a senior UN official said yesterday. Zannier takes over from German diplomat Joachim Ruecker as part of a planned “reconfiguration” of the mission after Kosovo ethnic Albanians declared independence from Serbia in February and won recognition from major Western powers. Russia opposes secession. “The appointment should be made this week,” a senior UN official told Reuters. (Reuters)

Croatia’s flag carrier said yesterday it had opened new flight routes this week to fellow former Yugoslav members Kosovo and Montenegro. The first flight between Zagreb and the Kosovo capital Pristina took place on Monday, a Croatia Airlines statement said. By connecting the two capitals, Croatia Airlines would be contributing to boosting economic ties between Croatia and Kosovo, the statement said. (AFP)