Begaj Meets Konrad Adenauer Foundation Representatives: Albania Advancing on EU Accession Path
President Bajram Begaj met today with German representatives of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Dieter Althaus, former Prime Minister of Thuringia and board member, and Thomas Kunze, the foundation’s current head in Albania. Begaj thanked Germany for its continued support for Albania’s European Union accession process. He also praised the Konrad …
Food Safety: AKU Laboratories Upgraded in Shkodra, Fier and Gjirokastra
Improved laboratory infrastructure and stronger food safety control capacities marked the main results of the TYPIC-AL project, which concluded with a closing meeting in Albania. The project received funding from the Italian government through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). CIHEAM Bari implemented the project in cooperation with the …
The Hague ruling unites PS and PD, Parliament: Sentencing of Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi is unjust
The Socialist Party (PS) and Democratic Party (PD) have issued a joint statement in Parliament regarding the ruling by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, which sentenced four former KLA leaders — Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi — to a combined 81 years in prison. In …
65,000 claims for damages in Ukraine, Gogu: Albania ratifies compensation mechanism
Justice Minister Toni Gogu today called on MPs, during a plenary session, to ratify the Convention establishing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. With the ratification of the convention, Albania becomes the tenth country to approve the mechanism. A total of 25 states are required for it to enter into …
Albanian diaspora gathers in Times Square in support of former KLA leaders, Tirana prefect shares footage
Following the announcement of the first-instance verdict by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, which sentenced the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army to a total of 81 years in prison, support for them has also been expressed outside Kosovo. Last night, members of the Albanian diaspora gathered in …
Thaçi reacts after The Hague ruling: I deny any involvement in killings, I will appeal the verdict
One day after the first-instance ruling in The Hague, which sentenced four former KLA leaders to a combined 81 years in prison, Hashim Thaçi has responded through a post published by his lead lawyer on the social media platform X. In the post, Thaçi expresses his gratitude for the support …
July brings record number of hotel visitors, up 15% from a year earlier
The summer tourist season has boosted activity at accommodation establishments in Albania, with around 817,000 visitors recorded in July alone. Data show that the number of visitors staying in hotels and other accommodation establishments increased by 15% compared with July of the previous year. The vast majority of the increase …
‘Albanians for America’ says Hague ruling must not become judgment of Kosova’s war for freedom; notes right to appeal
The Albanian-American organization Albanians for America has reacted to the Hague Special Court’s ruling on former Kosova Liberation Army leaders, saying it disagrees with the judgment and considers it unfair to those who fought for Kosova’s freedom. The organization said the KLA fought for freedom and to protect Kosova’s population. …
TourMaG.com highlights Albania’s mix of modern development and cultural heritage
French travel media outlet TourMaG.com presents Albania as an increasingly attractive Mediterranean destination, highlighting its historical heritage, distinctive cities, nature and modern development. The article takes readers from Tirana and Kruja to Shkodër and Durrës. In Tirana, it highlights the mix of modernist, communist-era and contemporary architecture, as well as …
Albanian Assembly to issue joint statement after Kosova Liberation Army leaders’ Hague sentences
The Assembly of Albania will issue a joint statement after the Hague Special Court sentenced four former leaders of the Kosova Liberation Army to a total of 81 years in prison. Assembly Speaker Niko Peleshi said the Assembly had adopted a common position involving all political forces. He described the …
By Daniel Serwer Tirana Times, September 17, 2026 – The Kosovo Specialist Chambers’ has convicted former President Hashim Thaci and three other Kosovo Liberation Army leaders of war crimes but acquitted them of crimes against humanity. The sentence for Thaci is 25 years. This is happening while Aleksandar Vucic is resigning from …
Millions of euros flowed to companies linked to Strabag while Oleg Deripaska remained a major shareholder, exposing gaps in Albania’s ability to identify who ultimately benefits from public money Tirana Times, September 17, 2026 – For years, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska’s economic interests in Albania were largely invisible. They did …
The Hague verdict against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders has drawn reactions from the sports world. Former Albania national team footballer Taulant Xhaka has publicly expressed his support for Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. Xhaka posted a poster on Instagram featuring the four former KLA …
Endrit Thaçi, son of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, has voiced support for a protest organized by the War Veterans’ Organization of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVL-KLA). He shared the organization’s call for a “Protest in Defense of the KLA.” Meanwhile, the protest will take place on Friday at 12:00 …
RTSH has officially begun implementing its 2026–2030 transformation and restructuring process. The Task Force established to lead and coordinate the process held its first meeting today. The European Broadcasting Union organized the meeting as a workshop focused on RTSH’s Transformation Strategy and its implementation. Radka Betcheva, the European Broadcasting Union’s …
Charles L. Smith, the presiding judge of the Trial Panel, has issued a decision launching procedures for reparations to victims in the case against Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli. The Trial Panel issued the decision on September 16 and published it today. It decided to initiate …
Justice Minister Toni Gogu said today that Albania will continue its digitalization process and use of artificial intelligence. He stressed that the country will protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Gogu spoke in Parliament during the review of the draft law on the ratification of the Council …
Defense cooperation and regional security issues were at the center of meetings held during the 2026 US-Adriatic Charter Conference of Chiefs of Defense in Zadar, Croatia. The US Embassy in Tirana said that US General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the US European Command (USEUCOM) and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), …
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met today with Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Bedri Hamza. The meeting came one day after the Kosovo Specialist Chambers issued verdicts against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. The four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders received combined sentences of …
The Albanian diaspora in the United States held a protest in Times Square, New York, following the first-instance verdict by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders. Tirana Prefect Shkëlqim Hajdari shared images from the gathering on social media. He conveyed the …