Rama: No One Can Lecture Me on Beauty, Resignation Is Not an Option
Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended his government’s handling of the controversial luxury tourism developments linked to Jared Kushner, insisting that his resignation “has never been, is not and will never be an option.” Speaking in an interview with Deutsche Welle, Rama rejected claims that public trust in Albania’s democratic institutions has been broken, …
In Search of Albania’s Soul: Manuel Montobbio Returns to Tirana Through Literature
Tirana Times, July 02, 2026. The Albanian Institute for International Studies and Tirana Times book house hosted a special literary evening in Tirana with Ambassador Manuel Montobbio, diplomat, writer, poet and academic, offering a rare encounter between diplomacy, literature and Albania’s own search for memory, identity and soul. Held at the premises of Tirana …
Will Washington Derail NATO’s Tirana Summit?
Tirana Times, July 2, 2026 — Albania’s ambition to host a NATO summit in 2027 has suddenly become more than a diplomatic milestone. It has become a test of whether Tirana can keep pace with the alliance’s new defense spending politics, whether Washington under President Donald Trump is willing to …
Protesters Detained, Police Injured in Clashes Outside Albanian Parliament
At the latest anti-government rally outside parliament in Tirana, several police officers were injured and at least 18 demonstrators were detained. Original post Here
Deputy PM Koçiu: Children must be kept away from political activities, use in protests is unacceptable
TIRANA, July 2 – Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu reacted on social media, condemning the involvement of children in political activities. She called for stronger protection of minors from adult political conflicts. Koçiu said recent images circulating in public are concerning. She said they show children exposed to a divisive …
Saranda sees rising tourist arrivals as visitors embrace Albanian cuisine
TIRANA, July 2 – Saranda has entered the summer season with a higher number of visitors than during the same period last year, according to local tourism businesses. Operators said tourist arrivals have increased steadily from month to month, boosting activity across the hospitality and services sectors. Meanwhile, businesses said …
Administrative reform, essential step for EU integration, draft law aims to strengthen autonomy of agencies
TIRANA, July 2 – Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption Adea Pirdeni presented a draft law on the organisation and functioning of the state administration, calling it a key milestone in public sector reform and Albania’s EU integration process. Pirdeni described the initiative as the result of two …
PM Rama: 50 Million Euro Sovereign Guarantee for Businesses, Double Funding for Youth Startups
TIRANA, July 2 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said the government has expanded the sovereign guarantee scheme to 50 million euros, aiming to support small and medium-sized enterprises that want to scale up their operations. Speaking during a discussion with pensioners, Rama stressed that the programme targets small and medium …
EU Growth Plan: Albania leads Western Balkans as reform reporting enters new phase
TIRANA, July 2 – Western Balkan countries have until July 15 to submit progress reports under the European Union’s Growth Plan after the fourth reporting period ended on June 30. The European Commission will review the reports before approving payments. Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said the Reform and Growth Facility …
July tourist surge lifts Shkodër and Albanian Alps alongside coast
TIRANA, July 2 – July has opened with a strong influx of visitors across Shkodra County, where tourist activity now extends well beyond Velipoja’s beaches to the city and the Albanian Alps. Travellers from across Europe continue to choose Albania for their summer holidays, turning Shkodra into a key stop …
Egnatia closed Week 5 of the Abissnet Superiore with a 2-1 win over Partizani at Egnatia Arena on Sunday evening. Loukili and Albanese scored for the Rrogozhina side. Earlier on Sunday, Tirana drew 2-2 with AF Elbasani at home. Vora and Skënderbeu also drew 1-1 on Saturday. Dinamo City recorded …
Interior Minister Ervin Demo said Albania has increased the number of joint investigation teams fivefold over the past five years. He made the statement at the 42nd conference of the European Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates, an organization representing graduates of the FBI National Academy. Albania is hosting …
Cultural heritage monuments and archaeological parks in Vlora County are becoming an increasingly important part of tourist itineraries. Thousands of local and foreign visitors explored these sites during the tourism season. Orges Feimi, Director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Vlora, told ATA that seven monuments and archaeological …
Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis made his historic visit to Tirana on September 21, 2014. It was his first visit to a European country outside Italy after he became head of the Catholic Church. He spent about 12 hours in Tirana, delivering a speech at the Presidency and …
“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza stands as a notable example of agribusiness development. The project combines the efforts of a rural entrepreneur with government support through the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development (AZHBR). Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of the agribusiness on social media today. The site has become …
EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said Albania must continue reforms and secure irreversible results on its path towards European Union membership. Speaking at the 22nd EU-Albania Parliamentary Stabilisation and Association Committee meeting, she stressed the importance of parliamentary oversight, transparency and public consultation in drafting and adopting …
Albania is attracting growing attention in Europe. Travel platform “Europexplores” has highlighted the country as a top holiday destination. It has praised Albania’s coastline, historic cities and mountain landscapes. In an Instagram post, the platform used the headline “Albania takes the crown as Europe’s best travel destination.” Albanian media also …
Albanian Special Olympics swimmers represented Albania for the first time at the “Malta Open 2026.” They delivered an impressive performance and returned home with one gold and two silver medals. Iris Hoxha won first place in the 100-meter freestyle. Gersi Troka finished second in the 50-meter butterfly. Joel Gërmënji took …
The 24th Tirana International Film Festival opens tonight and runs through September 27. The festival brings 230 feature-length and short films to the capital under this year’s theme, “Bring It Back! Humanography.” The programme focuses on human stories, emotions and individual experiences through cinema. The Albanian Telegraphic Agency remains an …
Albanian businesses made further progress in digitalisation in 2026, according to data published by INSTAT. The main trends include higher use of online sales, cloud services, enterprise resource planning systems and artificial intelligence. Online sales saw the strongest growth. INSTAT said 31.3% of businesses with 10 or more employees sold …