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Isolation is not a joke: Leaving the ICSID would be a bitter mistake

TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL Albania’s troubles with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) seem to be expanding well beyond the infamous case of settling over the closure of Agon Channel and the hefty fine of 120 million euros that the country has to pay up to Italian investor …

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Albania to Honour Heroes Who Saved Jews from Holocaust

New museum will celebrate the Albanians who risked their lives to shield Jews from Nazi persecution – and whose story has remained largely untold. Original post Here

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Faced with corruption and unpredictable tax system, top business associations demand comprehensive reforms

TIRANA, April 12, 2023 – Doing business in Albania is hard as the economic “environment is inefficient and requires significant improvement,” five chambers of commerce in Albania, including those representing American, German, French and Italian investors said in a joint statement issued on Tuesday.   To attract more foreign investment, they …

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Albania’s massive ICSID court loss has Tirana pondering exiting jurisdiction

TIRANA, April 11, 2023 – With Albania’s government losing its final appeal to reverse a €120-million penalty in the Francesco Becchetti affair case earlier this month, Tirana is mulling exiting the jurisdiction of the international arbitration court that issued the ruling, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama.  The tribunal organized …

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Politicians and Public Targeted in Online Intimidation Cases

BIRN’s latest three-month monitoring review of digital violations, covering the period from January to March, highlights how online targeting of politicians and government critics, as well as other forms of digital intimidation, have become significant issues of concern in the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. Original post Here

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Fresh Suspicions over Albania Airport after Turkish Partner Pulls Out

Environmentalists and the European Commission were already alarmed by Albanian plans to build an airport in a coastal region rich in biodiversity. Now one of the partners in the project has pulled out, taking its airport expertise with it. Original post Here

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PM pitches large public sector wage increases, leading to concern over costs, political use 

TIRANA, April 8 – Albania’s government is preparing to approve large wage increases in the public sector that could lead to the average salary going up 60 percent by 2024, Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced.  According to the government, the new system of public sector wages will bring the …

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ODIHR starts monitoring mission for Albania’s May 14 administrative elections

TIRANA, March 8, 2023 – International observers of ODIHR, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, have started the mission of monitoring Albania’s local elections of May 14 with a press conference. The mission will be led by Ambassador Audry Glover, who has been in charge of international …

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Albanian PM Threatens to Quit International Arbitration Body

Premier Edi Rama reacted angrily to a decision by a World Bank-funded international arbitration body to grant around 110 million euros in compensation to an Italian businessman who claimed he was politically persecuted in Albania. Original post Here

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Op/Ed: The Quad: Searching for purpose in yet another new regional constellation

By ALBA CELA Last week, the Foreign Affairs ministers of Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo launched the “Western Balkans Quad – 100% alignment with EU Common Foreign Security Policy” as a platform to address CFSP in the sensitive geopolitical context brought about by Russian aggression in Ukraine. All countries …