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Tax, Kosovo Army stirred tensions in Balkans, says Putin

Russian President, Aleksandar Putin, who on Thursday visited Belgrade has addressed also solving of Kosovo-Serbia issue. During a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Putin said Russia’s position towards Kosovo is already known. Original post Here

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Kosovo opposition leader met EU Representative, British Ambassador

Leader of the biggest opposition party in Kosovo, LDK, Isa Mustafa held separate meetings with British Ambassador to Pristina, Ruairi O’Connell, and EU Special Representative to Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova. In both meetings Mustafa discussed current political developments and dialogue with Serbia, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here

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Kosovo’s opposition won’t join dialogue with Serbia on redoing the state

Chief of parliamentary group of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), biggest opposition party in Kosovo’s Parliament, says ruling coalition partners are attacking his party for not changing its stance on dialogue with Serbia. Original post Here

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Kosovo’s PM Haradinaj to welcome Hahn’s suggestions on tariffs

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj commented the visit of the EU Enlargment Commissioner Johannes Hahn who is set to visit Pristina today. Haradianj si expected to meet Hahn today afternoon. Original post Here

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Kosovo President ‘whereabouts unknown’

President Hashim Thaci is out of the country but nobody in Kosovo knows his whereabouts. Media reported on Thursday that Thaci is in Brussels but the President’s Office has not confirmed the visit. Original post Here

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Giving up Kosovo North, leads to Greater Serbia, says ex-negotiator

Edita Tahiri, former negotiator in dialogue with Serbia says if President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci agrees to swap territories with Serbia, he will help Belgrade’s dream come true for creation of Greater Serbia and destabilising Balkans. Original post Here

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Kosovo PM Haradinaj reacts to Putin’s statements

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has reacted to Russian President Vladimir Putin statements who said the US and Western allies are destabilising Balkans. Original post Here

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Kosovo revokes tariffs for Serbia’s goods imported before 100 percent tax imposed

Kosovo Government has decided on Tuesday to revoke 100% tariffs on Serbian and Bosnia-Herzegovina goods that were imported before 21 November, when the measures were initially imposed. Original post Here

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EU Commissioner Hahn to visit Kosovo tomorrow

European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, responsible for European neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations, is expected to visit Kosovo on Thursday when he will meet Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo’s Government confirms. Original post Here

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US insists: Kosovo to revoke tax on Serbia’s goods

US Embassy to Pristina urged again on Wednesday Kosovo authorities to revoke tax on Serbia’s goods saying that Kosovo benefits nothing from the tax. Original post Here

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U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations

Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …

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Washington suspends visas for Albania

Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …

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NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations

In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …

News
‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque

Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here

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Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 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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How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market

On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …

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Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market

BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here

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Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress

Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here

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Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania

Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here

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Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature

TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …

News

U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations

Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …

News

Washington suspends visas for Albania

Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …

News

NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations

In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …

News

‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque

Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 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

News

How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market

On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …

News

Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market

BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here

News

Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress

Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here

News

Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania

Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here

News

Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature

TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …