EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos tells BBC Albania making steady progress toward membership
TIRANA, April 17 – European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said Albania is progressing steadily on its path toward European Union membership. She made the remarks in an interview with BBC. Kos said Albania continues to advance in its reform agenda as enlargement returns to the European Union’s strategic priorities. …
Week in Review: Big Changes and Steep Climbs
A momentous election spells change not just for Hungary but also for much of the Western Balkans, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week highlights. Original post Here
In Albania, Is Tailor-Made Legislation Being Written for Tycoons?
New legal amendments allowing ‘strategic investors’ to develop port facilities at tourist resorts without competitive tenders represent the latest custom-written legislation brought in by Edi Rama’s government to benefit big business, critics claim. Original post Here
Albania introduces new foreigners’ regulation with online applications and one-day provisional permit
TIRANA, April 17 – The Albanian government has approved a set of regulatory changes for foreign nationals aimed at reducing bureaucracy and speeding up procedures. The reform also seeks to align migration and labour rules with European standards. The changes were published in the Official Gazette. The new framework introduces …
Kategoria Superiore: “Final Four” match tickets go on sale
The Albanian Football Federation announced ticket sales for the “Final Four” of the Abissnet Superiore. Fans can buy tickets starting today. The four best teams will play six matches to decide the champion. All games will take place at Air Albania Stadium. First and second round matches will be held …
Ylli in Rome: Italian support for establishing Albanian Paralympic Committee
Fidel Ylli, President of the Albanian National Olympic Committee, visited the Italian Paralympic Committee headquarters in Rome. He met President Marco Giunio De Sanctis. They discussed technical assistance for creating the Albanian Paralympic Committee. They called it an important step for Paralympic sport in Albania. The process follows recent changes …
Director General of Albanian Customs meets World Customs Organization chief, focus on digitalisation and EU integration
TIRANA, April 17 – Director General of Albanian Customs Besmir Beja met World Customs Organization Secretary General Ian Saunders in Brussels during the Annual Meeting of European regional customs leaders. The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation and accelerating customs digitalisation. The Albanian side highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at modernising customs …
Albania advances pharmaceutical system digitalisation to improve access to medicines
TIRANA, April 17 – Health and Social Protection Minister Evis Sala outlined reforms to modernise Albania’s pharmaceutical system at a national conference marking 20 years of the Order of Pharmacists. She said the government aims to improve access to safe and effective medicines for citizens. The ministry is advancing digitalisation …
OSCE hosts Albania–North Macedonia meeting on preventing violent extremism
TIRANA, April 17 – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe held a cross-border meeting in Pogradec on preventing violent extremism and radicalisation. The discussion focused on online radicalisation and related security risks. The OSCE Presence in Albania and the OSCE Mission to Skopje organised the roundtable. Officials from …
Albania and European Union hold second security and defence dialogue in Brussels
TIRANA, April 17 – Albania and the European Union held their second dialogue on security and defence under a joint partnership framework. The meeting took place as global security challenges continue to grow in complexity. European Union officials and Albanian representatives discussed cooperation in defence and foreign policy alignment. Albania …
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Albania has recently made significant progress on its path toward European Union membership. According to Kos, Albania met the Interim Benchmarks Assessment Report (IBAR) requirements on the rule of law. As a result, the country can now begin the process of closing …
Andreas Schieder said the European Parliament will reaffirm Albania’s strong commitment to the European Union. Speaking during a plenary session of the European Parliament, Schieder praised Albania’s progress in the accession process. He noted that the country opened all negotiation clusters within just 13 months. In addition, Albania recently achieved …
Kosovo and the European Commission held the annual meeting of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Monitoring Committee. The meeting focused on the implementation of EU financial and technical support for Kosovo. In addition, participants reviewed reforms that support Kosovo’s path toward European integration. Since 2007, the European Union has …
Ferit Hoxha met with Günter Krichbaum during his visit to Luxembourg. The two officials discussed Albania’s path toward European Union membership. They also reviewed the current momentum of the EU enlargement process. Furthermore, Hoxha said they exchanged views on the opportunities created by the renewed focus on enlargement across Europe. …
In Albania, real civic society is no longer in donor-funded conference rooms. It is in the streets. By Mrika Temali Tirana Times, June 16, 2026 – Thirty-five years after the fall of communism, Albania offers a bitter paradox. The European Union, Western governments and international foundations have spent millions indeed …
UEFA representatives continued inspections in Albania as preparations advance for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2027, which Albania will co-host. First, UEFA experts visited stadiums over a four-day inspection tour. They assessed technical and operational readiness for the tournament. They focused on lighting systems, backup generators, security measures, and other …
TIRANA, June 16 – Housing prices in Albania continued to rise during 2025. At the same time, transaction volumes fell in the second half of the year. The Bank of Albania said the trend requires more time and data to determine whether it reflects a slowdown or a correction after …
TIRANA, June 16 – The Transparency Board has decided to reduce fuel prices in Albania. It cut diesel by 3 ALL per litre and petrol by 2 ALL per litre. Under the decision, diesel will sell at a maximum retail price of 180 ALL per litre. The board set the …
Albania’s U-19 national team learned its opponents for the second round of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2027 qualifiers. UEFA held the draw in Nyon, Switzerland. It placed Albania U-19 in Group 6 of League B. First, Albania will face Armenia and Cyprus in the group stage. The team will …
TIRANA, June 16 – The United States is expected to adjust its contribution to NATO’s KFOR mission in Kosova. The move comes as part of a broader review of the Alliance’s military presence in the country. A US European Command (EUCOM) official told Radio Free Europe that the decision follows …