18:00/December 15/2021 Skopje – I think that if all six countries in the region take part in ‘Open Balkan’, the initiative will serve as one of the instruments for improving regional economic and trade cooperation, but not political cooperation, President Stevo Pendarovski said at a press conference in Pristina. Skopje – President Stevo Pendarovski met Wednesday with Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, as part of his official visit to Kosovo. “Pendarovski and Kurti agreed that relations between the two countries are friendly and constructive, and reaffirmed interest in promoting cooperation. President Pendarovski expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of communication between the governments of the two countries, highlighting that it contributes towards building good neighborly relations between North Macedonia and Kosovo,” the President’s office said in a press release. Skopje – The Bulgarian veto has “succeeded” where other external influences failed – to reduce the EU’s power and influence in the whole Western Balkans region, Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska said Wednesday at a ministerial meeting of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC), currently chaired by Croatia. Skopje – North Macedonia registered 326 new COVID-19 infections after 2,562 tests were conducted in labs across the country in the past 24 hours. In the same period, eight deaths and 242 recoveries were reported, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Brussels – European Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius on Wednesday unveiled new plans to boost criminal prosecutions for environmental violations as the EU has “to be clear environmental crimes are not victimless.” Strasbourg – Daria Navalnaya, daughter of jailed dissident Alexei Navalny, urged European Union governments to confront the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a speech to MEPs on Wednesday.