Freedom of Information Still Impeded in Western Balkans, Report Warns
Despite robust legal frameworks, public institutions in the region are finding new ways to obstruct transparency, a new BIRN report finds. Original post Here
Fish Market in Vlora to Modernize Fisheries and Boost the Blue Economy
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Andis Salla and Vlora Mayor Brunilda Mersini visited the new facility after the Municipality of Vlora took ownership. The government invested €1.5 million in the project. The market covers 1,300 square meters and includes 15 cold storage rooms. It connects directly to the Fishing …
Albanian Parliament Approves New Law and Several Resolutions
Albania’s Parliament approved a new draft law and several resolutions during a plenary session on Tuesday. Lawmakers passed a law that strengthens official controls on food and animal feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health, and plant protection products. The measure received 74 votes in favor. Parliament also approved …
Albania Strengthens Naval Industry Training for Young People
Albania has signed a new cooperation memorandum to strengthen skills and employment for young people in the naval industry. The state company KAYO, the Italian company FINCANTIERI, and the Industrial School “Pavarësia” in Vlora signed the agreement at the Pashaliman Naval Base. The deal focuses on internships, training programs, and …
Deadly Minibus Crash on Tirana–Durrës Highway Leaves One Dead and Several Injured
A serious accident occurred on Tuesday on the Tirana–Durrës highway, when a minibus on the Berat–Tirana line left the road and overturned. Emergency teams responded immediately. Police, firefighters, and ambulance crews arrived at the scene and rescued passengers while providing first aid to the injured. Authorities first reported two deaths …
Albania Officials React to Fatal Tirana–Durrës Highway Accident
Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu has expressed condolences after a tragic accident on the Tirana–Durrës highway left one person dead and several others injured. In a statement on social media, Koçiu described the news as “shocking” and offered her deepest condolences to the family of the victim. She also expressed …
Reinier de Graaf Explains Reinier de Graaf
Tirana Times, June 30, 2026 – When Tirana Times published Reinier de Graaf’s open letter from The Albanian Files, it did so because the text had already become one of the most discussed and controversial passages of the book. The letter, written in March 2025, appeared to call, in deliberately provocative …
Albania Moves to Revive Naval Industry Through Fincantieri Partnership
On June 30, 2026, Albania signed a cooperation memorandum in Vlora with Italy’s Fincantieri, one of Europe’s leading shipbuilders, in a move aimed at reviving naval production at the Pashaliman base and strengthening the country’s defence industrial capacity. The memorandum, signed between the Albanian state company KAYO, Fincantieri and the …
Are Europe’s Star Architects Helping Launder Albania’s Criminal Economy?
The Albanian Files suggests that international architecture may have served not only as design, but as a prestigious façade for opaque money, captured institutions and one-man rule. Tirana Times, June 29, 2026 – A glossy architectural volume meant to celebrate Albania’s transformation has unexpectedly become one of the most revealing …
TKOBAP Polyphony Group Performs at Piccolo Opera Festival 2026 in Italy
The Albanian iso-polyphony group from the National Ensemble of Folk Songs and Dances (TKOBAP) performed at the Piccolo Opera Festival 2026 in Italy. As a result, Albanian traditional music reached an international audience. The group presented Albania’s rich iso-polyphonic heritage, which is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. In …
With elections approaching in Bosnia and Serbia, rhetoric is heating up, while in Turkey and Albania, campaigners are feeling the pressure, as our round-up of Balkan Insight Premium stories shows. Original post Here
U.S. Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Richard Grenell has criticized the Hague court following its decision to sentence four former Kosova Liberation Army leaders to a combined 81 years in prison. Grenell described the decision as politically motivated. In an interview with Albanian television channel Top Channel, Grenell said Kosova …
The National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble is ready to begin its new artistic season with a calendar of activities that will open with a tour of several Italian cities. Artistic Director Sokol Marsi said the ensemble has just returned from Kosovo, where it took part in a nationwide festival …
A conference on cultural and scientific cooperation between Albania and France took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The event focused on Albania’s artistic heritage and the study of its medieval and post-medieval icons. The exhibition “Icons of Albania, Treasures of the National Museum of Medieval Art of Korça,” …
The exhibition “Marubi: Education Studio,” curated by Tereza Çuni and Jozefina Vokrri, presents a decade of creativity, experimentation and arts education at the National Museum of Photography. The exhibition at the Marubi Museum features a selection of work developed over 10 years at the museum’s Education Studio. The display brings …
The United States Embassy in Kosova urged citizens to avoid Skanderbeg Square in Prishtina and surrounding areas on Friday, September 18. Several organizations had announced protests there at noon. The embassy warned United States citizens about large crowds, road closures and severe traffic disruptions. It advised them to avoid the …
Justice Minister Toni Gogu said the review of Albania’s Criminal Procedure Code follows Council of Europe recommendations on pre-trial detention. He said the work aims to strengthen safeguards for personal liberty. It also seeks to make alternatives to detention more effective. Gogu spoke at a Justice Ministry roundtable on security …
Commercial flights in Albania increased by 22% in August 2026 from the same month last year, according to Eurostat data. The increase ranked among the highest in Europe. Albania also recorded a much higher increase than the European Union average of 2.3%. In the region, Montenegro followed Albania with a …
Prime Minister Edi Rama called for institutional dialogue over the law on magistrates’ salaries. He urged judicial representatives to join a joint working meeting and seek a long-term solution. Rama said the meeting should include the heads of the two justice system councils and leaders of judicial institutions. He said …
Thousands of people gathered in central Prishtina on Friday to protest the prison sentences handed to four former Kosova Liberation Army leaders by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The court found Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi guilty of four war crimes on September 16. …