Albania–Italy: National libraries sign cooperation agreement to preserve cultural heritage
Albania’s National Library has signed a cooperation agreement with the National Central Library of Florence, with support from the Italian Cultural Institute in Tirana. The agreement aims to strengthen ties between the two institutions and promote the preservation of library and documentary heritage. At the signing ceremony, Italian Cultural Institute …
EU enlargement accelerates as Albania closes another negotiating chapter
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the European Union’s enlargement process was gaining momentum. She confirmed that Albania was expected to provisionally close another negotiating chapter today, covering enterprise and industrial policy. The decision was due during the 10th Albania–EU Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Montenegro provisionally closed three …
Albania’s Prosecutor General and media regulator sign agreement to combat digital piracy
Albania’s Prosecutor General, Olsian Çela, has met with Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) Chair Armela Krasniqi and signed a memorandum of cooperation to establish and operate a task force against digital audiovisual piracy. Under the agreement, AMA will report suspected criminal offences to the competent prosecution offices. The authority will also …
Private operators account for 92.7% of Albania’s rail freight transport
Private operators accounted for 92.7% of Albania’s rail freight transport, measured in tonne-kilometers, in 2025, according to the national statistics agency INSTAT. The figures appear in its report, “Transport in Figures 2025”, which highlights the dominant role of private companies in the sector. Rail freight transport reached 17 million tonne-kilometers …
Transparency Board sets new fuel price caps
Albania’s Transparency Board has set new fuel price caps, effective from 14:00 on October 13. Diesel may cost no more than ALL 219 per litre at retail and ALL 207 per litre at wholesale. Petrol prices may not exceed ALL 196 per litre at retail and ALL 184 per litre …
Albania’s journey towards European Union membership
Albania’s accession talks with the European Union began on July 19, 2022. Today, the 10th Albania–EU Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg is expected to provisionally close Chapter 20 on Enterprise and Industrial Policy. This would bring the number of provisionally closed chapters to four. In October 2024, Albania opened its first …
Albania’s vehicle fleet exceeds one million
Albania had 1,048,092 road vehicles in 2025, up 9.3% from the previous year. Passenger movements through land border crossings also increased, rising 6.5% to 28,421,891 entries and exits, according to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT). Passenger cars accounted for 80.8% of the vehicle fleet, followed by motorcycles at 6.1%. The …
EU negotiations chapter 20 opens opportunities for Albanian businesses
Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj said the closure of Chapter 20 marks an important step in Albania’s European integration. The announcement came during the 10th Intergovernmental Conference between Albania and the European Union in Luxembourg on Tuesday. She said Albania had worked intensively over the past year to meet …
President Begaj opens Dritëro Agolli house museum in Devoll
President Bajram Begaj attended the opening of the house museum of renowned Albanian writer Dritëro Agolli in Menkulas, Devoll, on the 95th anniversary of his birth. He described the museum as a national act of gratitude and an investment in Albania’s cultural heritage. Begaj said Agolli was one of the …
Migjeni, poet of social suffering and hope
Albanian writer and poet Millosh Gjergj Nikolla, known by his pen name Migjeni, was born in Shkodër 115 years ago. His work brought open protest, dreams of a new world and deep optimism to Albanian literature. Migjeni wrote about the social hardships faced by ordinary people in the Albania of …
Tirana Times, October 17, 2026 – Vera Prokopieva is a nutrition scientist from Bulgaria who has studied food from three angles: as an anthropologist, as a cook in Copenhagen kitchens, and as a researcher at Stanford, working on clinical trials of food as medicine and on how fermented foods shape the gut …
Justice Minister Toni Gogu has reacted following an incident in which flames reached the Supreme Court, while reports indicated that the entrance to the Bank of Albania was also damaged. “Two independent institutions. Neither is a government office. Both serve the country and its citizens,” Gogu stressed. The minister condemned …
The Archbishop of Shkodër-Pult, Monsignor Giovanni Peragine, has reacted to the protests that have taken place in Albania in recent days, stressing that the country does not deserve to relive the painful wounds of its past. In a statement, he called on the authorities to listen to citizens, open the …
Kosovo’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Glauk Konjufca, said that Serbia’s territorial ambitions pose a serious threat to Kosovo’s sovereignty and regional stability. In an interview with Hungary Insider, Konjufca said that Serbia’s territorial ambitions must be understood through the connection between its political rhetoric and …
The General Director of the State Police, Skënder Hita, has provided an update on the number of police officers injured during the protests, stating that a total of 132 officers have been injured in Tirana, Shkodër and Lezhë. According to Hita, five police officers were injured today alone, one of …
The Ministry of Health has issued another update on the number of people admitted to hospital after being injured during the student protests in recent hours. According to the Ministry of Health, nine protesters, four police officers and one bystander have sought medical attention at the University Trauma Hospital (SUT). …
The University Hospital Centre of Tirana (QSUT) has updated its figures on the health conditions of people injured during the protest, covering the period from 5:00 p.m. until now. According to the statement, a total of 21 police officers and 13 protesters have sought medical assistance. Full statement: University Trauma …
Vera Prokopieva is a nutrition scientist from Bulgaria who has studied food from three angles: as an anthropologist, as a cook in Copenhagen kitchens, and as a researcher at Stanford, working on clinical trials of food as medicine and on how fermented foods shape the gut microbiome. Albania is living …
by Dr. Elez Bebiraj Tirana Times, October 17, 2026 – Albania is facing the most serious political crisis of Edi Rama’s thirteen years in power. Protesters demanding the prime minister’s resignation have attacked government buildings, clashed with police, and damaged public and private property. The unrest has spread from Tirana …
The Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji, has met with the new US Ambassador, Eric Wendt. In a social media post, Kingji said that during the meeting, he expressed his gratitude for the United States’ continued support in the field of defence, …