Qatar-based network hopes venture will provide objective news in a region where media is heavily influenced by politics

The pan-Arab news network al-Jazeera is launching its Balkans operation that is expected to reconnect people divided by the wars in the former Yugoslavia and offer them new perspectives of each other.

Officials of al-Jazeera Balkans say they are starting on Friday evening and plan to provide "objective" and "professional" news to people in countries of the former Yugoslavia in their own languages.

The Qatar-based network purchased a broadcasting station in Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, and turned it into their central studio for the region. The project employs journalists from all parts of former Yugoslavia and it established studios in Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia.

Media experts say they hope the broadcaster will offer objective news to a public that was exposed for two decades to local media heavily influenced by politics.


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