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Obituary: Isuf Kalo, 80, one of Albania’s top physicians and a key witness to communist history

TIRANA, Jan. 19, 2023 – Isuf Kalo, one of Albania’s most renowned medical doctors and a key witness to the country’s communist history as the personal doctor of the former dictator, has passed away at the age of 80, his family has announced. Professor Kalo was born in Albania’s southern …

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Albania had Europe’s fastest post-pandemic recovery in tourism sector, official data show

TIRANA, Jan. 19, 2023 – The visible increase in foreign tourists in Albania in the past two years now has statistical backing: Albania has had the fastest post-pandemic recovery in tourism in the entire continent, according to official numbers by Albanian and European statistical bodies.  Experts say pent up demand …

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Albanians gain visa-free access to China as Tirana and Beijing sign bilateral deal

TIRANA, Jan. 18, 2022 – Albanians will soon have a new — and rather large — global destination they can access without a visa: mainland China.  While Chinese citizens have already had the right to visit Albania without a visa, first as part of a tourist season program which Albania …

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Op/Ed: Serbia, Kosovo, and Russia’s interest in another conflict in continental Europe

By Arash Toupchinejad* Serbia recently found itself in a perilous standoff with Kosovo this past December when ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo established roadblocks to protest the arrest of a former Kosovo Serb police officer who had assaulted serving police officers. In response to this provocation, Kosovo called upon NATO-led …

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In Albania’s olive oil boom, lack of proper export system means producers go bust 

TIRANA, Jan. 26, 2023 – One the largest olive harvests ever has led to a record production of olive oil in Albania this year. But the boom in production has exposed another problem: Albania’s inability to export.  Most oil producers have not been able to secure the needed certification to …

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Collaku contributes to international conference on women’s contribution to interfaith relations hosted by Pope Francis

TIRANA, Jan. 26, 2023 – An Albanian civil society representative, Rudina Collaku, founder and executive director of Women’s Center for Development and Culture, has addressed a conference on women and interfaith relations organized by Pope Francis.  Pope Francis upheld the importance of protecting dignity of and caring for women and …

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Op/Ed: Italy and the Western Balkans talk cooperation

By Antonio Tajani* The fate of Europe in these last months is being played, dramatically, around Ukraine. But the future of our continent is also connected with what will happen in the Western Balkans. History teaches us the strategic importance that this region has for our security. Therefore, the international …

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U.S. arrest of former senior FBI official with ties to PM leads to opposition calls for investigation in Albania 

TIRANA, Jan. 23, 2023 – The ties of the Albanian prime minister to a former senior FBI official recently arrested in the United States have led to calls by the political opposition for a full investigation of any possible Albania-related wrongdoings.  The retired FBI senior official has been arrested on …

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Germany asks suspension of tax, Kosovo’s PM says

Kosovo’s Prime Minister admitted Monday that the two advisors to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who last Saturday visited Kosovo, asked Pristina authorities to suspend tax on Serbian goods. Original post Here

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Rasic: Belgrade manipulating Kosovo Serbs

Nenad Rasic, the president of the Serb Progressive Democratic Party, said Belgrade is manipulating Serbs in Kosovo and political entity of Srpska List has been created by Belgrade to manipulate Kosovo Serbs. Original post Here