Put to Bed by Albania, ‘Open Balkan’ Had Long Flattered to Deceive
After Albania declares ‘mission accomplished’, experts say few will mourn the apparent demise of the Open Balkan initiative. Original post Here
Op/Ed: NATO Summit in Vilnius: Full of Drama, but Few Surprises
By JONATHAN TERRA Will anything that happened in Vilnius really matter in the foreseeable future? After all, in terms of diplomatic and material support, training, logistics, intel-sharing, and coordinated strategic goals, Ukraine is already a de facto member of the alliance. The 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius is over. In …
Reduction of police forces resumes in Northern Kosovo
Kosovo Police has started to reduce its troops in municipal facilities in the north of the country, after accepting the Government’s decision, as reported this Thursday. Reduction of police forces happened before midnight last night, while these movements were developed in parallel by the municipalities of Leposaviq, Zveçan and Zubin …
Former mayor of Fushe-Arrez arrested for abuse of duty
Former mayor of Fushë-Arrëz Municipality, Fran Tuci, has been arrested by order of the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) this Thursday. He is accused of the criminal offense of “abuse of duty”, after he allowed some residents to clean a road of about 1 kilometer in a …
Kosovo’s PM attacked in parliament by opposition MPs
Physical clashes happen in the Assembly of Kosovo during the session of this Thursday, at the moment when Prime Minister Albin Kurti was talking about the recent situation in the North. The opposition MPs threw water at the Prime Minister. At that moment, the majority deputies and ministers surrounded Kurti …
Police checked Fushe-Kruja suspected killer’s house
Police conducted by order of the Tirana prosecutor’s office, a search in the apartment of Valter Bami in Nikla village, who was arrested after the assassination attempt on Gentian Bejtja in the courtyard of the apartment, where his brother-in-law Ramazan Sino was killed and his two minor sons were injured. …
Clashes in the Assembly of Kosovo, Rama stands in solidarity with Kurti
Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has condemned today’s clash in the Assembly of Kosovo. He stated that such act degrade the country’s image in the international arena. The head of the Albanian government says that he hopes that the opposition of Kosovo will discuss with ideas and not violence. …
Begaj in Slovenia: Communication between the two countries is at a high level
The President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj was in Slovenia for an official visit. The head of state said that the relations between the two states are good and that the political dialogue is at a high level. He said that Albania considers Slovenia as a partner, not only regionally, …
‘Brother, Tiger!’ SMS Exchanges Reveal Disgraced Albanian Politician’s Ties to Fugitive Businessman
Data from the investigation file obtained by BIRN shows Albania’s former Deputy PM Arben Ahmetaj – charged with corruption and money laundering – had a close relationship with Mirel Mërtiri, a controversial businessman now on the run, at least since 2012. Original post Here
AIIS hosts Foreign Policy Forum with UAE Ambassador
TIRANA – On July 6, 2023, the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) organized its signature Foreign Policy Forum welcoming as a keynote speaker H.E. Sulaiman Hamed Salem Almazroui, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Hellenic Republic and nonresident ambassador to Albania. The forum, entitled “The UAE between the …
Outside programme contributors to Albania’s indebted public broadcaster say they haven’t paid for months and are in the dark as to when they will receive the money they are owed. Original post Here
The latest China Index analysis, published by a civil society network that includes BIRN, suggests that Beijing’s influence declined in most of the Balkans in 2024, with only Bosnia and Herzegovina bucking that trend. Original post Here
Instead of stimulating investment in agriculture or energy, critics say a 2015 ‘special law’ on strategic investment in Albania has simply made it easier and more profitable for certain privileged businesspeople to build luxury villas on the coast. Original post Here
Halfway into a 12-month ban on TikTok in Albania, anecdotal evidence suggests the prohibition is being widely flouted while the government remains silent on promised filters to weed out ‘undesirable’ content. Original post Here
Our selection of Premium stories this week looks at the challenges facing the region as the summer season winds down and business-as-usual resumes. Original post Here
Court again bans MPs from forming institutions deriving from the February elections while it considers a complaint about the failure to elect a deputy speaker from the Serb community, as guaranteed in the constitution. Original post Here
On the eve of Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Week, which will take place in Tirana from September 16–20 at the Palace of Congresses, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania, Mr. Faisal bin Ghazi Hafzi, through a press statement, praised this event as …
When Denisa Kasa returned from abroad and saw the state of Albania’s filthy waterways, she was shocked. Now she has formed an independent collective of young people dedicated to the ‘dream of clean rivers’. Original post Here
Tirana will soon open its doors to the sights, sounds, and flavors of Arabia. From 16 to 20 September 2025, the Palace of Congresses will transform into a vibrant stage for Saudi Cultural Week, a five-day celebration of art, heritage, and creativity hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Culture. The festival promises to be more …
Albania’s hosting of an exiled Iranian opposition group was never likely to be easy. Now it’s under criminal investigation. Original post Here