Kosovo

Originally posted by Yugoslav Kosovo was conquered by Bulgaria in 850s to 971 and then again from 998 to 1014. Between 1070 and 1072 the Serbs have raised in Kosovo a Bulgarian uprising.

No, I actually have PhD in Cell Biology.

Originally posted by Anton Originally posted by Yugoslav Kosovo was conquered by Bulgaria in 850s to 971 and then again from 998 to 1014. Between 1070 and 1072 the Serbs have raised in Kosovo a Bulgarian uprising.   I think Bulgarian took those lands much earlier -- with Bulgars of Kuber.

No, no; surely not Kosovo - and I'm taking about statehood and not factual population (regardless if it's local clans that have de facto power or not).

Anton, I'm interesting in the info of Catholicism in Bulgaria (Medieval Ages). What can you tell me about that?

Originally posted by Yugoslav Anton, I'm interesting in the info of Catholicism in Bulgaria (Medieval Ages). What can you tell me about that?

Originally posted by Anton Originally posted by Yugoslav Anton, I'm interesting in the info of Catholicism in Bulgaria (Medieval Ages). What can you tell me about that?   In brief --story starts with games of Tsar Boris to gain independence for Bulgarian church and Tsar Kaloyan to get official recognition for second Bulgarian state. One  of the most known center of Bulgarian Catolicism is Chiprovtsi -- untill Chiprovo uprising they had kinda semi-independence from Ottoman Empire -- mainly because of economical reasons. They created their own literacy school at those time with Peter Bogdan Bashev who wrote first Bulgarian History (I mean first Bulgarian who did this after Ottoman invasion). This fact is widely ignored as first Bulgarian revival historian is called Paisii of Hilendar -- and I think it is because Petur Bogdan was catolic. Interestingly, many of Chiprovtsi Catolics have names on a serbian manner -- like Parcevic for instance (in tradiional Bulgarian way it would be Parcev). Growth of catolicism in Chiprovo occured in 1595 with arrival of Bosnian Franciscaner Peter Salinates who oranized a monastery. Another district with catolic villages is Nikopolis. There people are suggested to have Serbian connection (influence) -- a guy named Stanislavov published book in Rome with some religious texts in Bulgarian with many Serbian words. Also I found that Bulgarian catolics were strongly influenced by Serbian and Bosnian ones and, notably, Czechs.

Why don't we open a separate subject on Catholicism in Bulgaria & Serbia (Medieval era)? I find the subject amazingly fascinating (makes you rethink about "Orthodoxness" of the nations, especially the Serbian). For instance, during the era of the Nemanyiden, practically all of Serbia's cities had a Roman Catholic majority.

Originally posted by Yugoslav Why don't we open a separate subject on Catholicism in Bulgaria & Serbia (Medieval era)?

Originally posted by Temujin take it granted...

Serbian government crises deepens as Kostunica takes another blow.

Belgrade - The Serbian government coalition plunged deeper into a paralyzing crisis Thursday, with angry exchanges between partners unable to agree on whether the European perspective or Kosovo came first.

'There is no common government policy on the key issue for the country's future any more,' Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia said after the premier received a second blow by his allies in as many days.

Just before, ministers from President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party and the reformist G17 shot down a Kosovo resolution which Kostunica and DSS wanted voted on in the parliament.

In the assembly on Wednesday, the same two parties blocked the resolution, which they said was anti-European. DSS stopped short of directly siding with the opposition to force a new government coalition.

The resolution drafted by the ultra-nationalist opposition and approved by DSS would have effectively cemented Serbia's turn away from EU by demanding that Brussels renounce the independence of Kosovo.

The demand was impossible, as leading Western countries already recognized Kosovo and EU has sent a law-enforcing mission to the breakaway province to help along its first sovereign months.

The DSS, which holds disproportionately large authority in the government owing to its position between the blocs of pro-European and hard-line, pro-Russian nationalists, said it would decide early next week which step to take.

Kostunica has been accusing the West of dismembering Serbia by supporting the secession of the Albanian-dominated Kosovo in violation of international law. He already froze Serbia's EU membership talks in protest.

Tadic and his bloc also insist on Serbian sovereignty over Kosovo, but also say that the country must progress toward EU membership or face isolation and decline.

The strife over Kosovo and its path to the EU, because Tadic's bloc has paralyzed Serbia because Tadic controls the majority in Kostunica's cabinet, but is a minority in parliament since DSS moved very close to the nationalists.

Analysts and most politicians not involved in the ruling coalition see early elections as the only way out of the deadlock, though DSS could also pact with the nationalist Serbian Radical Party and Slobodan Milosevic's socialists for a new cabinet.

Popularity surveys however indicated that though on a back foot, Kostunica would after elections held now still hold the keys of balance between the surging nationalists and the also strengthened pro-Europeans.

Bush OKs supplying arms to Kosovo

1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) � President George W. Bush authorized Wednesday supplying Kosovo with weapons, signaling the establishment of government-to-government relations after recognizing its independence, the White House said.

In a memo to the State Department made public by the White House, Bush said: "I hereby find that the furnishing of defense articles and defense services to Kosovo will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace."

A senior official said the authorization followed US recognition of Kosovo's independence and was part of the normal process of establishing relations with a new government.

In a comment apparently meant to allay concerns from Serbia and its ally Russia, the official stressed the military restrictions imposed on Kosovo under a plan by former UN special envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari.

Under the Ahtisaari plan, which is the basis for Kosovo's supervised independence, Kosovo is allowed a lightly armed 2,500-person security force under NATO oversight and training.

Kosovo, an Albanian-dominated Serbian province under UN administration since 1999, unilaterally declared its independence on February 17. The United States recognized it on March 18, despite strong opposition from Serbia and Russia.

The US official, who asked not to be identified, said the US weapons deliveries were preparing the ground for the future, adding that the United States had struck similar relations with other countries in the region.

Furthermore, the official said, provisions of defense equipment and services would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The official said that providing military equipment to Kosovo would improve security relations and engagement with Kosovo, promote security and stability throughout the Balkans, improve Kosovo's capacity to take part in peacekeeping activities, to detect, deter and defeat terrorists, and to deal with humanitarian emergencies.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jTYBWxbnwoby8z38DtzDO_W31Bww

Bulgaria recognized Kossovo