April 3 — International Organizations: NATO
At its annual summit in Bucharest, NATO decides to open membership talks with Albania and Croatia. Macedonia is also invited to begin negotiations, but only after it resolves the dispute over its name with Greece, a NATO member. (Greece wants Macedonia to change its name to distinguish it from the Greeces northern region of Macedonia.) NATO leaders also indicate that Georgia and Ukraine could become members in the future. The two countries’ membership is strongly opposed by Russia. In addition, NATO members agree to endorse the United States’ plans for missile defense bases in the Czech Republic and Poland.
April 3 — Europe: CYPRUS
Greek and Turkish Cypriot authorities open a crossing point at Ledra Street, the main shopping street in Cyprus’ divided capital, Nicosia. It is a symbolic gesture before the start of renewed negotiation efforts to reunify the island. Talks are scheduled for June of this year. The street had been barricaded since 1964.
April 9 — Latin America: VENEZUELA
The Venezuelan government announces plans to nationalize the country’s biggest steel producer, Sidor, just days after the nationalization of all cement companies. Sidor, as well as Venezuela’s three largest cement companies, are owned by foreign companies. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says private companies are exporting too much cement and steel, both of which are needed in the country to solve severe housing problems.
April 9 — Europe: KOSOVO/SERBIA
Kosovo’s parliament unanimously adopts a constitution just two months after unilaterally declaring independence from Serbia. The new document includes a provision about the protection of minorities. The charter will come into force on June 15 after the UN hands over powers to the new country. Serbia calls the adoption of the constitution an illegal act.
April 10 — South Asia: NEPAL
Nepal’s former Maoist rebels win most seats in the country’s constituent assembly, during Nepal’s first national elections in nine years. The victory allows the Maoists to form a minority government, which will be headed by Maoist leader, Prachanda. The elections are part of a peace deal signed in 2006 to end the former Maoist rebels decade-long insurgency. The new assembly is expected to carry out an agreement made last December to abolish the monarchy, which has ruled Nepal for over 200 years.
April 12 — Latin America: HAITI
Haitis parliament dismisses Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis following widespread violent rioting over the soaring prices of food, which led to the deaths of at least six people. Haitis president, René Préval, responds to the violent protests by announcing a plan to cut prices of rice by 15 percent. Rising global rice prices have particularly affected Haiti, which is one of the world’s poorest countries and relies on food imports.
April 12 — East Asia: CHINA/TAIWAN
Chinas president, Hu Jintao, meets with Taiwan’s Vice-President-elect, Vincent Siew, in the highest level talks between the two governments since 1949. Although preliminary and very short, the meeting is hailed as a breakthrough in relations between the two countries, which Taiwan’s President-elect, Ma Ying-jeou, has vowed to improve.
April 14 — International Organizations: THE WORLD BANK
The World Bank President Robert Zoellick calls for immediate action to tackle soaring world food prices, warning that thirty-three countries are at risk of social unrest because of the food crisis. He also estimates that the rising cost of food could push 100 million people in poor countries deeper into poverty. Rising food prices have already led to violent protests and riots in Haiti, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Egypt, Cameroon, Mozambique, Senegal, and many other countries. In response to the rising food prices, many rice-exporting countries place restrictions on exports, further contributing to rising prices.
April 14 — Europe: ITALY
Italys center-right People of Freedom coalition, led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, wins a decisive victory in general elections. Berlusconi will become prime minister for the third time after two years in opposition. The main issue in the election was Italy’s struggling economy, which has been characterized by slow growth, low productivity, and steadily declining competitiveness. Berlusconi’s new government will be Italy’s 62nd since World War II.
April 17 — Europe: SPAIN
A bomb explodes outside an office of the ruling Spanish Socialist party in the Basque city of Bilbao in northern Spain, injuring seven police officers. Officials blame Basque separatist group ETA, which ended a 15-month ceasefire in June 2007. The explosion comes a day after Spain’s parliament was inaugurated in Madrid, following elections won by the Socialists. Last month, ETA claimed a murder of a former Socialist town councilman two days before the March 9 general election.
April 17 — South Asia/East Asia/Europe/North America: INDIA/CHINA/EUROPE/UNITED STATES
India mobilizes heavy security to protect the Olympic torch as it passes through Delhi. As a preventative measure, the authorities detain at least 100 pro-Tibet demonstrators, while Tibetan exiles organize an alternative peaceful torch relay event. India is home to the world’s largest community of Tibetan expatriates and Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. In previous weeks, the Olympic torch relay was disrupted in London, Paris and San Francisco by protesters objecting to China’s human rights record and its rule in Tibet.
April 20 — Latin America: PARAGUAY
Former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo wins Paraguays presidential election, ending six decades of rule by the conservative Colorado Party, one of the longest-ruling parties in the world. Standing for a center-left coalition, Lugo distanced himself from the region’s more radical leftist leaders, such as Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez. Known as bishop of the poor, he promises to continue to reduce poverty and corruption.
April 23 — Europe/South Asia: DENMARK/NETHERLANDS/AFGHANISTAN
Denmark and the Netherlands evacuate their embassies in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, in response to threats from extremists over the reprinting of a Danish cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad and the release of an anti-Koran film by a Dutch politician. The two governments have also moved staff out of their respective embassies in Algeria and Pakistan for the same reasons. Both the cartoon and the film have sparked strong protests and condemnation from Muslim countries.
April 26 — Africa: ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission confirms President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party’s defeat in the March parliamentary elections. The party lost its majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time since independence in 1980. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 99 out of 210 seats. The MDC also claims that its leader, Morgan Tsavangirai, has won the presidential election; however, independent election observers say Tsavangirai might have gotten just below a 50 percent threshold, which will force him into a run-off. Official results from the presidential election have yet to be announced.
April 29 — Former Soviet Republics/Europe: GEORGIA/RUSSIA
Russia announces plans to increase peacekeeping troops in Georgia’s two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, claiming the need to protect Russian citizens. Georgia accuses Russia of a provocative action, and NATO says that the troop buildup undermines Georgias territorial integrity and raises tensions in the region. In protest, Georgia also blocks talks over Russias membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Several days earlier, Georgia accused Russia of shooting down an unmmaned Georgian spy plane over Abkhazia. Relations between Russia and Georgia have steadily deteriorated over recent years.