Mayor’s Arrest Deals Albania’s Ruling Party a Pre-Election Blow

Erion Veliaj’s arrest for alleged corruption, alongside his wife, has enraged the ruling Socialist Party – and could undermine its chances in the May elections. BIRN looks at the charges and their political impact.

Original post Here

News
Prime Minister Rama to attend eighth intergovernmental conference with EU in Brussels

TIRANA, May 25 – Albania and the European Union will hold tomorrow the eighth Intergovernmental Conference on accession negotiations in Brussels. The meeting focuses on advancing reforms under Cluster 1 “Fundamentals” of the negotiation process. The conference will confirm Albania’s fulfilment of interim benchmarks. It will also define final benchmarks …

News
US congress members visit Balkans, Kosova trip also planned

TIRANA, May 25 – US congress members Keith Self, a Republican, and Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat, are visiting Serbia. They will also visit the Presheva Valley, a region with an ethnic Albanian majority. Meanwhile, Serbian parliament speaker Ana Brnabic will receive the delegation in Belgrade. The congress members will also …

News
PM Rama receives Greek defence minister in Tirana

TIRANA, May 25 – Prime Minister Edi Rama received Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias in Tirana during his official visit to Albania. Meanwhile, Rama shared images from the meeting on social media. He described Dendias as a valued friend and a strong supporter of the strategic partnership between Albania and …