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Golden Touch: Eight Decades on, King’s ‘Theft’ Still Divides Albania

King Zog’s reign brought progress and modernity to a backward Albania before his flight in 1939 – but controversies over the gold he allegedly took with him persist. Original post Here

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Albania Violated Suspended Prosecutor’s Rights, Court Rules

The suspension of an Albanian prosecutor – later fired under a vetting process supposed to rid the justice system of graft – was not “in accordance with the law,” the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. Original post Here

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UK Asylum Approach to Albanians Ignores Lived Experience, and Facts

The rhetoric, and now the laws, applied to irregular Albanian arrivals in the UK is discriminatory; it also ignores their lived experience in Albania and the UK’s own data. Original post Here

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Albania’s Belba Winery featured at VinItaly’s Open Balkan stand  

TIRANA, March 3, 2023 – When it comes to good wine, it’s all about the basic ingredient.  “We’ve focused on growing the right grapes,” says Bardhi Belba, who learned about wine while living in Italy for many years before returning to his native Albania to start his own family winery …

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IMO Slates Albania Judges’ Council’s Plans to Reinstate Fired Prosecutor

European Commission-appointed Monitoring Operation says plan by Albania’s High Council of Prosecutors to return to office a fired former prosecutor would undermine the entire vetting process. Original post Here

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Albania Urged to Save Iconic 1920s Bridge From Collapse

Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank Institute on Monday released a report urging Albania to save the iconic but damaged ‘Zogu Bridge’, considered ‘a masterpiece of civil engineering from the early 20th century in the Balkans’. Original post Here

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Albania’s economy grew by 4.8% in Q4, beating expectations

TIRANA, April 1, 2023 – Albania, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 4.84 percent compared to the previous year, the Institute of Statistics said in its publishing of data on economic activity during the last quarter of last year.  This increase goes beyond the forecasts of the Albanian authorities …

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Q&A: Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán on the war in Ukraine, international cooperation and the economy

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke to the Kossuth Radio programme “Good Morning Hungary” on March 31, 2023.  Zsolt Törőcsik: Soon all the Western tanks promised to Ukraine will arrive in that war-torn country. Several countries have already offered fighter planes, and the British have sent munitions containing depleted uranium – …

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Strengthening democratic institutions a U.S. priority, says nominee for U.S. ambassador to Albania, David J. Kostelancik   

TIRANA, April 2, 2023 – Strengthening democratic institutions in Albania is a U.S. priority, says David J. Kostelancik, a career diplomat appointed by President Biden to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Albania. He made the comments in his remarks in front of the Committee on Foreign Relations in …

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Albania voices support for Thaci as trial starts in The Hague 

TIRANA, April 3, 2023 – Albania has voiced support for Kosovo’s former president Hashim Thaci and three other ex-leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), whose trial started on  Monday in The Hague on alleged war crimes.  All of the defendants firmly deny the accusations and formally entered not-guilty pleas …

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After 6 months, Parliamentary Committees return to normal

After about six months, normality has returned to the Assembly. The physical meeting at the Law Commission took place today after the tensions and chaos that accompanied the previous sessions. After many debates, the majority and “Reestablishment” agreed on the establishment of two commissions and the return to normality of …

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Albania 15 years in NATO, Peleshi: Evaluation of the contribution of our representatives

This year, Albania marks the 15th anniversary of its membership in the largest military alliance, NATO. From our diplomatic representation in Brussels, Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi expressed his appreciation for the contribution that our representatives have made and make every day, in this journey. “We are fortunate to be …

News
Former Minister of Health accused for abuse of duty

Former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, was officially charged with the “sterilization” concession.He appeared this Monday morning at the Special Prosecutor’s Office as he was charged for “abuse of duty”. The former minister, after leaving the premises of SPAK, said that the Prosecutor’s Office has not properly investigated the sterilization …

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Socialist Party Parliamentary Group meets, present also Rama

The Socialist Party group met this Monday in the Presidency of the Assembly. It is learned that Prime Minister Edi Rama is also present at this meeting. The National Assembly of the Socialist Party took place in Durres the day before. During this meeting, Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke about …

News
Murder of Gentjan Bejtja, new details revealed

Details from the assassination of Gentjan Bejtja. The perpetrators, who are suspected to have been 4 people, approached with the off-road ‘Land Rover’ type vehicle from the area of ​​Fushë Kruja in the direction of Larushk. At around 4:20 p.m., they entered the alley where Gentian Bejtja’s villa was located …

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Jared Kushner’s firm eyes billion-dollar property deals in the Balkans

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald J. Trump, confirmed on Friday that he was closing in on major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia, the latest example of the former president’s family doing business abroad even as Mr. Trump seeks to return to the White House. Mr. Kushner’s plans …

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Sentenced to 4 years in prison for forging documents, the 40-year-old Albanian is extradited from Italy

A 40-year-old man was extradited from Italy after he was wanted for forging documents. Elmir Dashi was convicted in 2018 by the Vlora court for committing the criminal offense “Forgery of seals, stamps or forms”, committed collaboration. “Also, the citizen Elmir Dashi, 40 years old, was extradited from Italy to …

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Accused of fraud, a 52 year old Italian is expected to be extradited from Italy

An Italian citizen has been arrested in Italy with the intention of extradition to Albania after being declared wanted for fraud. The Italian, together with some Albanian citizens, had created a system of fictitious companies for the circulation of monetary amounts. In 2023, the court assigned him the security measure …

News
Trump’s son-in-law plans major investment in Sazan, Albanian gov’t confirms

TIRANA, March 16, 2024 – U.S.-based company Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner, the influential son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, aims to undertake two major tourism projects in Albania, along with another in Belgrade, with a combined value that could exceed $1 billion, he said on social media after …

News
NATO’s new airbase in Albania highlights country’s role as staunchest supporter of alliance in the region

TIRANA, March 15, 2024 – When NATO conducted a public opinion survey last year among its then 32 members about whether they would support staying in the alliance in a referendum, Albanians showed the highest support at 100 percent.  It is no wonder then that when Albania officially reopened the …

News

After 6 months, Parliamentary Committees return to normal

After about six months, normality has returned to the Assembly. The physical meeting at the Law Commission took place today after the tensions and chaos that accompanied the previous sessions. After many debates, the majority and “Reestablishment” agreed on the establishment of two commissions and the return to normality of …

News

Albania 15 years in NATO, Peleshi: Evaluation of the contribution of our representatives

This year, Albania marks the 15th anniversary of its membership in the largest military alliance, NATO. From our diplomatic representation in Brussels, Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi expressed his appreciation for the contribution that our representatives have made and make every day, in this journey. “We are fortunate to be …

News

Former Minister of Health accused for abuse of duty

Former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, was officially charged with the “sterilization” concession.He appeared this Monday morning at the Special Prosecutor’s Office as he was charged for “abuse of duty”. The former minister, after leaving the premises of SPAK, said that the Prosecutor’s Office has not properly investigated the sterilization …

News

Socialist Party Parliamentary Group meets, present also Rama

The Socialist Party group met this Monday in the Presidency of the Assembly. It is learned that Prime Minister Edi Rama is also present at this meeting. The National Assembly of the Socialist Party took place in Durres the day before. During this meeting, Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke about …

News

Murder of Gentjan Bejtja, new details revealed

Details from the assassination of Gentjan Bejtja. The perpetrators, who are suspected to have been 4 people, approached with the off-road ‘Land Rover’ type vehicle from the area of ​​Fushë Kruja in the direction of Larushk. At around 4:20 p.m., they entered the alley where Gentian Bejtja’s villa was located …

News

Jared Kushner’s firm eyes billion-dollar property deals in the Balkans

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald J. Trump, confirmed on Friday that he was closing in on major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia, the latest example of the former president’s family doing business abroad even as Mr. Trump seeks to return to the White House. Mr. Kushner’s plans …

News

Sentenced to 4 years in prison for forging documents, the 40-year-old Albanian is extradited from Italy

A 40-year-old man was extradited from Italy after he was wanted for forging documents. Elmir Dashi was convicted in 2018 by the Vlora court for committing the criminal offense “Forgery of seals, stamps or forms”, committed collaboration. “Also, the citizen Elmir Dashi, 40 years old, was extradited from Italy to …

News

Accused of fraud, a 52 year old Italian is expected to be extradited from Italy

An Italian citizen has been arrested in Italy with the intention of extradition to Albania after being declared wanted for fraud. The Italian, together with some Albanian citizens, had created a system of fictitious companies for the circulation of monetary amounts. In 2023, the court assigned him the security measure …

News

Trump’s son-in-law plans major investment in Sazan, Albanian gov’t confirms

TIRANA, March 16, 2024 – U.S.-based company Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner, the influential son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, aims to undertake two major tourism projects in Albania, along with another in Belgrade, with a combined value that could exceed $1 billion, he said on social media after …

News

NATO’s new airbase in Albania highlights country’s role as staunchest supporter of alliance in the region

TIRANA, March 15, 2024 – When NATO conducted a public opinion survey last year among its then 32 members about whether they would support staying in the alliance in a referendum, Albanians showed the highest support at 100 percent.  It is no wonder then that when Albania officially reopened the …