Thaci: No Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in Paris
President Hashim Thaci confirmed on Friday that he will be in Paris to attend the 100th anniversary of the truce signed between Allied Forces and Germany, hosted by Frnech President Emmanuel Macron adding that no dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will take place in this event. Original post Here
Kosovo Government proposes 2019 budget
Kosovo Budget 2019 will be 2.3 billion euro which is expected to be highest ever for Kosovo. This was stated by Minister of Finances, Bedri Hamza, during Government’s meeting on Friday. Original post Here
Kosovo President, Government vow not to discuss change of border with Serbia
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dardan Gashi, says the Government and President’s Office have agreed on Thursday not to talk on borders with Serbia delegation during the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels. Gashi said the accord was reached during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Limaj and the President Hashim Thaci. …
Haradinaj in Montenegro: Redrawing borders in Balkans caused tragedies
Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, during his visit to Montenegro met his counterpart Dusko Markovic and the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, to discuss recent political developments in Kosovo, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
Ex-KLA commander convicted of war crimes granted conditional release
Kosovo’s Supreme Court has granted conditional release to former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander, Jahir Demaku, who is convicted of mistreating civillians during the war in Kosovo in 1998-99. The Conditional Release Panel within the Supreme Court has rejected the request for conditional release of the other war crimes convict …
Kosovo expects visa liberalisation by year’s end, says EU Minister
Kosovo Minister of the European Integration, Dhurata Hoxha, who on Thursday attended the debate “association of the European Parliaments” in Strasbourg, asked the EU members to liberalise visas for Kosovo citizens by the end of this year, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
European Investors Council condemns Thaci’s attack against insurance company director
The European Investors Council (EIC) has reacted after the physical attack against the director of private insurance company “Illyria”, Gianni Sokolic. Original post Here
Kosovo man found guilty of war crimes against Albanians
The Basic Court in Pristina on Thursday found Skender Bislimi guilty of war crimes against Albanians civilians and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Original post Here
Kosovo President’s brother involved in fight
Gani Thaci, the brother of Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci, has on Wednesday physically assaulted the director of the Kosovo Insurance Bureau (KIB), Blerim Pushkolli, as well as the director of the insurance company “Illyria”, Slovenian citizen Gianni Sokolic. Original post Here
Montenegro officially joins NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo
Montenegro has on Tuesday joined the KFOR mission in Kosovo as the 29th troop contributing nation, which is the longest peacekeeping mission in NATO history. Original post Here
By Tirana Times Albania is facing a demographic collapse of historic proportions. What was once described as a temporary “wave of migration” in the 1990s has hardened into a permanent, structural crisis that now threatens the very future of the nation. The data is stark, the trend undeniable, and the …
TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times, September 11, 2025 ) – Albania’s government has unveiled what it calls a bold step in its fight against endemic corruption: the appointment of the country’s first artificial intelligence “minister.” The AI system, named Diella, meaning “sun” in Albanian, has been presented by Prime Minister Edi …
From attempts to neuter popular opposition to efforts to stifle the truth about mass protests, this week’s selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories explores the turbulent political landscape across the region. Original post Here
Rama announces new cabinet and calls fresh elections for the Tirana mayoralty – seven months after Mayor Erion Veliaj was arrested on charges of corruption and money-laundering. Original post Here
The new head of RTSH, Eni Vasili, admits to BIRN that the company is facing a dire financial situation – after several contributors revealed they had not been paid for months. Original post Here
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