—🇮🇱/🇷🇸 (🇧🇦) WATCH: Israeli President Isaac Herzog held talks in Tel Aviv with Ana Trišić Babić, Acting President of Republika Srpska, and Milorad Dodik, head of the ruling party in the entity, as part of Israel’s long-standing ties with Srpska.

➡️ The meeting underscores the close relationship that has developed over the years between Israel and Republika Srpska.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇮🇱/🇷🇸 (🇧🇦) WATCH: Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has awarded Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik the Jabotinsky Prize for Liberty, one of Israel’s highest distinctions, citing his role in fostering bilateral relations between Israel and the Republic of Srpska.

➡️ The recognition underscores the growing political ties between Israeli authorities and Dodik’s administration in Banja Luka.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🤝🇷🇸/🇭🇺 NEW: Serbia and Hungary are deepening cooperation through diplomatic co-location, jointly operating embassies or consular offices in Greece, Malta, Chile, Congo and Zambia, with new shared premises planned in Vietnam and Tanzania.

➡️ Diplomatic co-location allows both states to share buildings and services while fully keeping separate sovereignty, foreign policy and consular authority, cutting costs and boosting coordination without affecting independent decision-making.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—UPDATE: On 3 February, ministers from Western Balkan countries will meet European Commission representatives to discuss the Schengen-area restrictions that have triggered days-long border blockades by regional truck drivers protesting the EU’s Entry/Exit System and 90/180-day stay limit.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇺🇦🇷🇺🇲🇩🇲🇩Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, speaks on the plans to remove Russian troops from Moldova's Transnistria:

It is and remains Chisinau’s right to determine policy in this context. We, by the way, have heard and welcome statements regarding the development of a new plan for the reintegration of Transnistria and are ready to consider a request from friendly Moldova for further practical cooperation, including our contribution to Moldova’s security

We are already providing assistance — through the development of joint border infrastructure, reducing Moldova’s dependence on Russian energy resources, and through joint cooperation on the path to EU membership. It is very important that this is a coordinated effort

When asked whether Ukraine is considering the option of providing military assistance, Sybiha hinted that this would require a request from Chisinau

—🇽🇰/🇦🇱 NEW: Kosovo has lost around 50% of its population and Albania about 40% over the past 35 years, placing them among the countries with the highest population loss due to migration.

➡️ Both states continue to lose people, with the outflow concentrated among educated workers, deepening long-term demographic and economic pressures.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇷🇸 FACT: Serbia holds around 50–52 tonnes of gold, making it the clear regional leader in Balkan central bank bullion holdings.

—🇧🇬 Bulgaria: 42-43 tonnes.

—🇲🇰 North Macedonia: 6–7 tonnes.

—🇸🇮 Slovenia: 3–4 tonnes.

—🇧🇦🇦🇱 Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania: 3 tonnes each.

—🇲🇪 Montenegro: 1 tonne.

—🇭🇷🇽🇰 Croatia and Kosovo report no official gold reserves.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇪🇺 NEW: Epstein files show extensive correspondence between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Miroslav Lajčák, the former EU envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and ex-Slovak foreign minister, with Epstein referring to him as “Miro” and a “friend”.

➡️ Slovak media report that Lajčák’s name appears dozens of times in the documents, including emails about Slovak politics and his possible advancement to top UN or NATO roles, triggering a political storm in Bratislava.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇦🇱The Epstein files surprisingly mention Albania

An email dated May 25, 2012 shows that Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe at the time, sent a message to Jeffrey Epstein, the day after an official visit to Albania

Jagland briefly writes: "I was in Tirana, extraordinary girls"

—🇧🇦🇷🇸✅🇪🇺 UPDATE: Truck drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia have ended their blockade of EU border crossings for freight traffic, allowing cargo flows to resume after the disruption.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English