Soltes: EU to keep promises and grant Kosovo visa liberalization
Member of the European Parliament and standing rapporteur for Kosovo, Igor Soltes, says Kosovo has met all required criteria for it to have granted a visa free regime for Schengen. He calls on the EU to keep its promises and liberalize visas for Kosovars. Soltes made the call after the …
Kosovo’s PM writes a letter to EU members about tax on Serbian goods
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj wrote a letter to all EU member states explaining the decision of his Government to impose 100 percent tax on all goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gazeta Express reports. Haradinaj in his letter explains that Republic of Kosovo has fully respected all CEFTA agreements …
EU gives an additional 17.2 million Euro for rail project
As major modernisation of Kosovo’s railway infrastructure progresses, a grant agreement was signed in Pristina today for a further €17.2 million of co-financing from the European Union through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). Original post Here
Kosovo’s PM Haradinaj says President Thaci not opposing tax on Serbia’s goods
Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj says the President Hashim Thaci is not opposing the tariffs on all Serbia’s goods. The Government two weeks ago has imposed 100 percent tax on all imported goods from Serbia countering Belgrade’s aggressive campaign against Kosovo’s statehood. Original post Here
MEPs ask European Council to liberalise visas for Kosovo
Twenty-two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) penned an open letter to the President of the European Council Donald Tusk and Austrian Presidency of the Council asking liberalization of visas for Kosovo without further delay, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
Kosovo deserves visa liberalization, says MEP Fajon
Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Rapporteur on visas for Kosovo, has confirmed that Austria which is presiding the EU will not include in the agenda of the EU Council the voting on visa liberalization for Kosovo calling the decision as “frustrating.” Original post Here
Kosovo honors George HW Bush, day of mourning declared
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has ordered that all state buildings flags be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in observance of the National Day of Mourning following the death of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
EU surprised and disappointed with Kosovo’s tax on Serbia’s goods, says Hahn
The European Union was surprised and disappointed with the decision of Kosovo’s Government to impose customs tariffs for all goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, said in Pristina the EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn. Original post Here
Tax to be removed after Serbia, Bosnia recognize Kosovo, says PM Haradinaj
Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj says the 100 percent tax on all goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia will not be removed until these two countries recognize Kosovo’s independence. He also said that the EU is not guaranteeing that visa liberalization for Kosovo will happen this year. Original post Here
Kosovo forced to impose tax on Serbia’s goods, PM Haradinaj tells EU’s Hahn
Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj told European Union Commissioner Johannes Hahn that Kosovo was left no choice but to impose 100 percent tax on all goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
Anti-poverty NGO ActionAid has filed a complaint to the Court of Auditors in Italy over the 133 million euro cost of two migrant detention centres in Albania as part of a controversial asylum offshoring deal between Rome and Tirana. Original post Here
By Tirana Times Staff Tirana, 3 December 2025 — The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Albania today organized in Tirana the central event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a broad awareness-raising activity that brought together around 250 children with disabilities from several cities across …
In the second of BIRN’s series about women’s wartime activism, Midheta Kaloper explains how she survived sexual violence during the Bosnian war and now helps other survivors to fight for their rights – and bring the perpetrators to justice. Original post Here
By Zef Preçi What kind of political system are we living in today? Even though we have a weak state, authoritarian tendencies in governance have become more pronounced, and in a synthesized way this is reflected in the increasing number of MPs of the ruling party from one mandate to …
As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here
Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here
The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here
O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …
The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …
Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …