EU Commissioner Marta Kos: Albania Meets Key Interim Standards
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos says that Albania has met the interim benchmarks for the fundamental cluster, marking an important step in the country’s EU accession process. In a post on X, Kos also says that Albania receives a positive assessment in the IBAR report. She says the Cypriot …
Freedom of Information Still Impeded in Western Balkans, Report Warns
Despite robust legal frameworks, public institutions in the region are finding new ways to obstruct transparency, a new BIRN report finds. Original post Here
Fish Market in Vlora to Modernize Fisheries and Boost the Blue Economy
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Andis Salla and Vlora Mayor Brunilda Mersini visited the new facility after the Municipality of Vlora took ownership. The government invested €1.5 million in the project. The market covers 1,300 square meters and includes 15 cold storage rooms. It connects directly to the Fishing …
Albanian Parliament Approves New Law and Several Resolutions
Albania’s Parliament approved a new draft law and several resolutions during a plenary session on Tuesday. Lawmakers passed a law that strengthens official controls on food and animal feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health, and plant protection products. The measure received 74 votes in favor. Parliament also approved …
Albania Strengthens Naval Industry Training for Young People
Albania has signed a new cooperation memorandum to strengthen skills and employment for young people in the naval industry. The state company KAYO, the Italian company FINCANTIERI, and the Industrial School “Pavarësia” in Vlora signed the agreement at the Pashaliman Naval Base. The deal focuses on internships, training programs, and …
Deadly Minibus Crash on Tirana–Durrës Highway Leaves One Dead and Several Injured
A serious accident occurred on Tuesday on the Tirana–Durrës highway, when a minibus on the Berat–Tirana line left the road and overturned. Emergency teams responded immediately. Police, firefighters, and ambulance crews arrived at the scene and rescued passengers while providing first aid to the injured. Authorities first reported two deaths …
Albania Officials React to Fatal Tirana–Durrës Highway Accident
Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu has expressed condolences after a tragic accident on the Tirana–Durrës highway left one person dead and several others injured. In a statement on social media, Koçiu described the news as “shocking” and offered her deepest condolences to the family of the victim. She also expressed …
Reinier de Graaf Explains Reinier de Graaf
Tirana Times, June 30, 2026 – When Tirana Times published Reinier de Graaf’s open letter from The Albanian Files, it did so because the text had already become one of the most discussed and controversial passages of the book. The letter, written in March 2025, appeared to call, in deliberately provocative …
Albania Moves to Revive Naval Industry Through Fincantieri Partnership
On June 30, 2026, Albania signed a cooperation memorandum in Vlora with Italy’s Fincantieri, one of Europe’s leading shipbuilders, in a move aimed at reviving naval production at the Pashaliman base and strengthening the country’s defence industrial capacity. The memorandum, signed between the Albanian state company KAYO, Fincantieri and the …
Are Europe’s Star Architects Helping Launder Albania’s Criminal Economy?
The Albanian Files suggests that international architecture may have served not only as design, but as a prestigious façade for opaque money, captured institutions and one-man rule. Tirana Times, June 29, 2026 – A glossy architectural volume meant to celebrate Albania’s transformation has unexpectedly become one of the most revealing …
TIRANA, July 13 – Albania’s permanent parliamentary delegation took part in the 51st Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, held in Yaounde, Cameroon. Hatixhe Konomi led the delegation, alongside Ilirian Pendavinji and Luçiano Boçi. More than 300 lawmakers from 42 national, subnational and inter-parliamentary sections attended the session. …
TIRANA, July 13 – Albania will host the 37th NATO Summit after the alliance concluded its 36th summit in Ankara. Analysts say the decision highlights the strategic importance of Albania and the Western Balkans for NATO. Experts say the alliance has renewed its focus on the region as Europe reshapes …
TIRANA, July 13 – Albania marks 31 years of membership in the Council of Europe on July 13, a milestone that reflects the country’s democratic transition and its commitment to European standards, according to the Agency for Media and Information (MIA). MIA said membership has supported reforms, strengthened institutions and …
TIRANA, July 13 – Murat Toptani, a sculptor, painter, poet, publicist and prominent figure of the Albanian National Renaissance, was born on July 13, 1868, in Aka, present-day Türkiye. His father, Said Toptani, lived in exile in Türkiye at the time, which led to Murat’s birth there. In 1884, Toptani …
TIRANA, July 13 – The United Kingdom has announced measures to ban support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designating the group as a threat to national security, according to the BBC. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the new powers will make support for the IRGC a criminal …
On Monday, the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko, held an official meeting with a delegation from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), led by Hannes Takacs, the EBRD’s newly appointed Resident Representative in Albania. The delegation also included Ekaterina Solovova, along with other representatives from …
Prime Minister Edi Rama arrived in Paris on Monday to attend the Coalition of the Willing Summit in support of Ukraine. Rama said he had been invited by French President Emmanuel Macron and shared footage of his arrival, where he was welcomed by the French leader. Rama and other European …
The Bank of Albania revoked the licenses of 83 currency exchange offices during 2025 following inspections that uncovered regulatory violations and financial irregularities related to cash circulation. According to the central bank, the inspections revealed shortcomings in customer identification procedures, transaction monitoring, screening against sanctions lists, and the reporting of …
Around 200 high-income individuals in Albania are being audited as part of an intensified effort by the tax authorities to verify their wealth and income. The General Directorate of Taxes says it has identified €770,000 in suspicious findingsso far. The Tax Administration has stepped up inspections targeting individuals with significant …
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the Open Balkan initiative was labeled “a terrible idea” for one reason only: because it was backed by him and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. “It was considered a terrible idea for only one reason – because Vučić and I were behind it. If you removed our …