From May this year to July, 35,193 tourists arrived in Ukraine from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. More than 85% of all tourists from the Gulf region (29,809 people) are citizens of Saudi Arabia. This is eight times more than in the pre-crisis year of
Romania’s economy continued its robust post-pandemic recovery in the second quarter after already returning to pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) went up by 1.8% in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter, marking the fourth consecutive
If you’re looking for a high-ranking university that enjoys the esteem of a Harvard, Stanford or Oxford there are better places to look than in the western Balkan countries, where one higher education institution has fallen out of a top 500 universities ranking. Emerging Europe reports that now not
The Belarusian government is trying to “instrumentalize human beings for political purposes,” interior ministers of the European Union warned in a joint statement after a video meeting on Wednesday. The emergency meeting requested by Lithuania was scheduled after the government there published a video of 12 Belarusian police officers armed
If you’ve ever been in the situation where your mobile phone is running out of power, but you forgot your charger at home – and the only one available to you has a different pin connection, the European Commission’s plans to harmonize mobile phone chargers might have a solution
Bulgaria, the poorest EU member state, is sliding into political chaos, throwing its ability to tap into badly needed EU economic recovery aid into question. Currently run by a caretaker cabinet with limited powers, appointed by president Rumen Radev, the country is on the brink of calling a third general
The Hungarian government is opposed to the introduction of a single EU carbon price and extension of the EU’s Emissions Trading System to households, namely buildings and the transport sector, according to state secretary for the Development of Circular Economy, Energy and Climate Policy, Attila Steiner, who noted that
Lots of extreme weather – including an increasing number of heatwaves, floods, etc. – is being forecast for Europe in the future, according to a dire climate scenario released this week by the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report writes that high temperatures on the continent are set to
Two countries in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), Bulgaria and Croatia, are on track to introduce the European common currency. In Sofia, politicians on both the left and right endorse the euro despite the looming government crisis, while Zagreb has even decided on its national symbols to be portrayed on
The leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party said it will change its legal system disciplining judges in an attempt to find a long-awaited compromise with the European Union. Jarosław Kaczyński, Poland’s de facto leader stated to the national press that the disciplinary chamber will be
In Serbia, early parliamentary elections will likely be held between 20 March 20 and 3 April of next year. Those dates have been leaked from talks between the ruling party coalition and the opposition on Monday. The presidential and municipal elections will presumably be held at the same time. Negotiations
Thirty-five million citizens of the European Union just don’t have the financial means to take a week-long trip within Europe, says a recent survey. That’s a total of 28% of EU citizens who can’t afford a one-week holiday away from home, according to recent research from the
If you’re traveling to Dubrovnik, Croatia’s southern Adriatic resort town, you no longer need to transit through Bosnia and Hercegovina: the two parts of Croatian territory are now united by a spectacular, 2.5 kilometer-long bridge, linking the mainland with the Peljesac peninsula. For the first time in
Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has sought asylum at the Polish Embassy in Tokyo this wee after having learned that a campaign had been launched against her in the Belarussian state media. “The campaign was quite serious and that was a clear signal that her life would be in danger in
Hungary will allow Russian visitors to visit if they possess a Covid-19 immunity certificate as of Tuesday, 3 August, foreign minister Péter Szijjártó has announced. The measure comes in response to Russia’s recent decision to resume issuing tourist and business visas to Hungarian citizens who hold a negative PCR
The Czech government and energy company ČEZ have signed a memorandum of support for the construction of a battery factory for electric vehicles, a so-called “mega factory,” in the Czech Republic. The plan has been approved by the government, according to the deputy prime minister and minister of Industry and
As part of several deals signed that facilitate trade and movement, leaders from three Balkan states – Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia – agreed to an open border policy between them for travelers and commerce, effective 1 January 2023 if everything goes according to plan. Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, and the
Are you planning your summer holidays in Central & Eastern Europe? If you’ll take your rest and relaxation at a beach in the region, we invite you to check the quality of the bathing water you’re planning on dipping into, whether it’s a lake or at the
Bulgaria is closing its borders to four more countries due to spikes in COVID-19 cases: the Netherlands, Malta, Andorra and Georgia. The list already included Great Britain, Spain, Cyprus and Kuwait among others. Bulgarian citizens coming from those counties are allowed entry into the country only with a PCR test
Coronavirus cases are on the rise in Montenegro, a popular destination in Europe whose economy depends on tourism. With only 33% of the population vaccinated, the country’s health authorities say there are currently 986 active cases of COVID-19, and that new infections may increase in the near future. A
The European Commission has recently approved a EUR 90 million subsidy offered by the Hungarian government to South Korea’s SK Innovations – one of the world’s largest energy and chemical companies – to support the establishment of its second battery plant in the city of Komárom in Hungary. According to
Serbia’s central bank is accusing Croatia of appropriating the the historical and cultural heritage of Serbians if Zagreb places inventor Nikola Tesla’s visage on euro coins, when the latter country hopes to adopt the euro common currency in 2023. Tesla, the inventor of alternating current (AC) among his
Latvia, a country with less than 2 million people, already has low CO2 emissions (half the OECD average), but they still see room for improvement: last September Latvia’s government pledged its support to the European Climate law, cementing its commitment to more rigorous decarbonization. Latvia will achieve a low-carbon
The European Commission has approved the Czech Republic’s EUR 7 billion plan to recover from the pandemic and transform the country’s economy into one that is greener and more digital. The scheme will be financed from EU grants until 2026. Once the plan is also approved by EU
The newly elected 46th National Assembly of Bulgaria held its inaugural meeting last week. Bulgarian MPs took the oath of office and elected Iva Miteva of “There Is Such a People” (TISP) as Parliament Chair by 137 votes and 99 abstentions. Miteva was supported by the parliamentary groups of TISP,