Serbia will begin production of the Russian-designed coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V on 20 May, according to a deal signed by the two countries in Moscow on Thursday, dpa reported.

Struggling with surging COVID-19 infections, several Balkan countries said on Wednesday that they would step up restrictions in hopes of easing the pressure on their overburdened health systems, AP reported.

Kosovo’s foreign minister on Tuesday resigned following allegations she had rigged the vote to win a seat in the new parliament, news wires reported.

The Kosovo’s Election Commission released on Thursday the final results from the early general election, held on 14 February. According to them a left-wing party has garnered the most parliamentary seats, but has fallen short of an absolute majority that would have enabled it to form a government on its own, AP reported.

Serbia is struggling to contain a wave of new Covid-19 cases triggered by more infectious strains and health experts have urged the government to impose another lockdown despite the country's massive vaccine rollout, news wires reported.

The EU’s commissioner for Home Affairs Ylve Johansson urged Bosnia on Thursday to manage migration properly and share the burden of its migrant crisis equally across the country if it is to stay on course for EU membership, Reuters reported.

Anti-establishment party Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) is set to win Kosovo's parliamentary election with 46.8% of the votes, preliminary results based on a partial count on Sunday showed, Reuters reported.

Serbia on Sunday donated a first batch of 8,000 doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to North Macedonia, which is yet to deliver its first jabs, AP reported. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and North Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev attended a border checkpoint handover ceremony of the shipment, praising friendship between the two neighboring Balkan states.

Kosovars on Sunday are casting their ballots in a snap parliamentary election one year and five months after the previous elections, regardless of the complex situation with the pandemic. Also, due to low temperatures, the turnout is lower than in the 2019 elections. Partial results are expected late on the day.

North Macedonia will seal a deal this week to purchase 200,000 Chinese Sinopharm vaccines, hoping to get them quickly and start inoculating its population, news wires reported, citing Health Minister Venko Felipce. He announced the government has decided at a closed session on Friday to sign an agreement to buy the Synopharm vaccines on Monday. The government also agreed a plan to transport and distribute the vaccines.