Balkan developments

Turkey's first astronaut flies into space

The first Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravci took off together with the crew of AX-3 (Axion Mission 3) to the International Space Station from Kennedy Base in the state of Florida, USA. The missile was launched at 00:49 Turkish time on January 19.

The launch was watched on a large monitor by a crowd gathered at midnight outside the planetarium in Ankara. Thousands also watched the ceremony in Taksim Square in Istanbul. The Minister of Technology Mehmet Kajar with a delegation of scientists was in the US for the event.

Gezeravci was born in 1979. He was an F-16 fighter pilot for 21 years. "My name is not important," Gezeravci wrote on the social network Ex: "What is important for people is to remember that their country is determined enough to take a step into the future and dream not about the sky's limits but for the depths of space."‎

Tunnel under Shar Mountain to connect North Macedonia with Kosovo

The governments of Kosovo and North Macedonia signed an agreement on January 12 to co-finance a tunnel that will connect Prizren in Kosovo and Tetovo in North Macedonia. The project creates new transportation opportunities and will connect the Skopje - Tetovo highway along Corridor No. 8 with the Ibrahim Rugova highway leading from Pristina to Tirana and Duras, emphasized the Minister of Spatial Planning and Infrastructure of Kosovo Liburn Aliu, quoted by koha. net.

The Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of North Macedonia, Bekim Redjepi, said that the tunnel is 6.4 km long and will be financed proportionally according to the length in each country.

The Prizren-Tetovo road will be about 50 km and will reduce the travel time between the two cities to less than an hour. The current road is 113 km long and can be travelled by car in over 2.5 hours.‎

Croatia starts building military base near the border with Serbia in Baranja

The Ministry of Defense of Croatia has announced that it is working on a concept for short basic military training for high school graduates, HINA agency reported. The ministry has also started rebuilding the barracks in Beli Manastir in Baranja, near the border with Serbia, N1 TV reported.

Defence Minister Ivan Anušić stated before the competent parliamentary committee that the project to return the army to Baranja has started and by the end of 2026, up to 850 soldiers from the Falcons battalion, armed with M2A1 ODS Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

The deployment is justified by the protection of the border, which is threatened by the influx of migrants, such as the deployment of the garrison and the preservation of the population in the depopulated area, Anušić said. ‎

Greece ready to send frigate to the Red Sea to protect shipping

Greece is ready to send a frigate to protect shipping in the Red Sea, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said. In response to a parliamentary question by deputies from the Communist Party, the minister clarified that the presence of a Greek frigate would be to protect the interests of the Greek merchant fleet.

According to military experts, a Greek frigate will most likely escort ships in the Red Sea to protect against hijacking and bombing. It is logical for Athens to send its frigate, because the attacks of the Yemeni Houthi rebels have greatly affected the business interests of the Greek merchant fleet, the Greek media commented.

Athens is waiting for the specific parameters of the mission in the Red Sea in order to send a Greek frigate in that direction, the BNR correspondent in Athens Katia Peeva reports.‎

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar works as a journalist for her podcast

The President of Slovenia, Natasa Pirc Musar, has started hosting her own podcast for interviews with prominent Slovenians and guests from abroad, The Slovenia Times and BTA reported. The podcast is aimed at Slovenian and international audiences.

"I think it's important to broaden everyone's horizons in Slovenia with the help of knowledgeable people. To openly discuss where we're going wrong as a society and in particular what we can do to make things better for all of us," says Musar at the beginning on the first episode. She talks about life in an era of identity crises and selfless solidarity with Reneta Salecl, one of the country's most famous philosophers.

The podcast is called The Power of Words. It is available online with English subtitles. Musar has 11 years of experience in state and private television as a presenter and journalist

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov

Editing by Miglena Ivanova

Photos: tua.gov.tr, vlada.mk, morh.hr, defence-point.gr, slovenia.si

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