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Begaj meets UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed, first visit by an Albanian president to the United Arab Emirates

President Bajram Begaj paid an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, marking the first visit by a President of the Republic of Albania to the country. The visit, which took place on September 14 in Abu Dhabi, reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to further strengthening the forward-looking partnership between …

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“Freedom for the Liberators”, march in Skopje tomorrow in support of former KLA leaders

The Albanian Youth Forum announced in a social media post that a march will be held in Skopje on Tuesday, September 15, in support of the former KLA leaders, ahead of the final verdict in The Hague. The march will take place at Skanderbeg Square at 6:00 p.m. “FREEDOM FOR …

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Police assist two German tourists lost near Mount Dajti

Tirana police came to the aid of two German tourists who lost their way in the mountains behind Mount Dajti on Sunday evening. Police learned at around 20:15 that the two tourists needed help near Qafë Mollë. Officers from Police Station No. 4 immediately began searching for them. The officers …

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Teuta lead Albania’s Super League after fourth round

The fourth round of Albania’s Abissnet Superiore ended on Sunday with AF Elbasani beating Egnatia 2-1 at Elbasan Arena. Earlier on Sunday, Laçi defeated Vllaznia 2-0 at home. On Friday, Skënderbeu and Tirana drew 1-1 in Korça. Meanwhile, Dinamo City beat Partizani 4-2 in another Tirana derby on Saturday. Teuta …

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Albania’s central bank governor and French economic official discuss stronger cooperation

Bank of Albania Governor Gent Sejko met Pierre Sentenac, the new head of the Regional Economic Department at the French Embassy, at the central bank. Sejko highlighted Albania’s close relations with France and described France as an important European partner. Sejko briefed Sentenac on recent economic and financial developments in …

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Tirana hosts film festival on war, peace and human rights

The 21st International Human Rights Film Festival opens in Tirana on September 14 and runs through September 19. The Academy of Film and Multimedia “Marubi” organises the festival. This year’s programme focuses on war, peace, the rule of law and the memory of victims. Over six days, the festival will …

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Confiscated property rentals generate ALL 180 million in 2026

Revenues from managing and renting confiscated property reached ALL 180 million in the first eight months of 2026, according to Risena Xhaja, head of Albania’s Agency for the Administration of Confiscated Assets. Xhaja presented the figures during a hearing with the Committee on Citizen Initiatives, Cooperation and Institutional Oversight. She …

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Albanian director Ilir Yzeiri wins documentary award in Venice

Albanian director and researcher Ilir Yzeiri has won the Best Documentary Director award at the Venice International Film Festival. He received the award for his documentary “Lucia Nadin and Albanians in Venice 1474–1552”. The documentary previously earned selection by the Veneto Region for the festival’s 83rd edition. Italian company Cinemaset, …

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Monday Briefing from the Balkans: September 14, 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

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Kosova awaits September 16 Hague verdict

The Hague will deliver its verdict on September 16 in the trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. The four have pleaded not guilty. The case has attracted significant attention in Kosova because of the defendants’ prominent roles during the 1998-1999 …

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Week 5 of Albania’s top-flight football season concludes

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 …

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Interior Minister Demo: Joint investigation teams have increased fivefold

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 …

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More Than 51,000 Visitors Explore Vlora Heritage Sites, Porto Palermo Castle Most Popular

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 …

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Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis visited Tirana

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 …

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“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza Welcomes Domestic and Foreign Tourists

“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 …

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EU ambassador: Speed of integration laws must not weaken parliamentary oversight

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 …

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“Europexplores”: Albania Takes the Crown as Europe’s Best Travel Destination

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 …

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Special Olympics Albania Wins Three Medals at Malta Open 2026

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 …

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Tirana International Film Festival opens its 24th edition

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 …

News
INSTAT: Online sales rise as Albanian businesses expand digital services

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 …

News

Week 5 of Albania’s top-flight football season concludes

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 …

News

Interior Minister Demo: Joint investigation teams have increased fivefold

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 …

News

More Than 51,000 Visitors Explore Vlora Heritage Sites, Porto Palermo Castle Most Popular

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 …

News

Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis visited Tirana

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 …

News

“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza Welcomes Domestic and Foreign Tourists

“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 …

News

EU ambassador: Speed of integration laws must not weaken parliamentary oversight

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 …

News

“Europexplores”: Albania Takes the Crown as Europe’s Best Travel Destination

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 …

News

Special Olympics Albania Wins Three Medals at Malta Open 2026

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 …

News

Tirana International Film Festival opens its 24th edition

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 …

News

INSTAT: Online sales rise as Albanian businesses expand digital services

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 …