Washington suspends visas for Albania
Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …
NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations
In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …
‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque
Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market
On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …
Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market
BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here
Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here
Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania
Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here
Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature
TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …
Europe Tightens the Fight Against Corruption, Albania at a Crossroad
By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While the EU is moving decisively toward tougher and more harmonized criminal rules against corruption, Albania is simultaneously discussing …
Prime Minister Edi Rama described May 26 as a historic date, as Albania completed the phase of opening the chapters of its EU accession negotiations and entered the final phase of closing them. Speaking on his podcast “Flasim” (“Let’s Talk”), Rama said that this achievement represents a certification of the …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-(–header-height)” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”cad5cd8e-5b87-40b2-8f87-a6827d2c76d0″ data-turn-id-container=”cad5cd8e-5b87-40b2-8f87-a6827d2c76d0″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-11″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”user”> Just 15 kilometers from the city of Pogradec, the village of Peshkëpia is experiencing some of the most difficult years in its history. *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-5″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-5″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-12″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> Once home to around 800 residents, the …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-1″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-1″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-4″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> “Kosovo is a priority of Albania’s foreign policy,” declared Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, in Pristina alongside his counterpart, Glauk Konjufca. “Kosovo is an absolute priority of our foreign policy. It is a clear and unchanging …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-2″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-2″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-6″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, will embark on a diplomatic tour of the six Western Balkan countries ahead of the EU–Western Balkans Summit, where he will hold meetings with regional leaders and co-chair the high-level summit on …
Himara continues to be a favorite destination among foreign tourists. Visitors mainly come from Greece, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, as well as from many other countries around the world as part of their tours across Albania. During their stay in Himara, tourists say they have been captivated by the …
Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted to the clashes that occurred a day earlier in the Zvërnec area, where residents protesting the construction of a resort were reportedly assaulted by security guards employed by a private company. In a post on X, Rama stated that he would speak the following …
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-7″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:0981fa6a-3e79-4791-b704-0147d0641e3c-7″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-16″ data-scroll-anchor=”false” data-turn=”assistant”> The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to hold a key session on June 4 regarding the nomination of retired General Eric Wendt, who has been nominated by the President of the United States to serve as the next …
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, shared photos and details on Facebook from his meeting this Sunday with Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha. During the meeting, Kurti emphasized that relations between Kosovo and Albania are excellent and that cooperation between the two countries is essential. According to him, coordination …
Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari has reacted to the clashes that took place a day earlier between local residents and private security guards employed by the company planning to invest in the Zvërnec area. In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Lamallari called for those responsible for the violence to face criminal prosecution. …
Edi Rama said on Friday that the Socialist Party remains the only political force with a clear commitment to Albania’s national interest. He made the remarks during an event in Dibër marking the party’s 35th anniversary. Rama said the party made a clear break from the past when it was …