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President Begaj’s message 25 years after Recak massacre

President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj commemorated this Monday the massacre of Recak, which happened on January 15, 1999 in Kosovo. Through a post on social networks, Begaj underlined that the memory of the Reçak massacre is a strong motive to protect peace, security, freedom and human dignity from any …

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Newest MP to swear in during plenary session

Plarent Ndreca will be the newest MP in the Parliament of Albania, taking the place of former Vice Prime Minister and Minister Arben Ahmetaj. Head of the Central Elections Commission (CEC), Ilirjan Celibashi, made the decision to give him the mandate, and then he will be sworn in at the …

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Minister Hasani in regional tour for deepening of COOP

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, will conduct a 3-day regional tour on January 16-18: Kosovo – North Macedonia – Montenegro. Kosovo will be the first stop, where Minister Hasani will be met by homologation Donika Gërvalla, with whom there will also be a press conference, to continue …

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Emigration is top economic risk to Albania, says EBRD head

TIRANA, Jan. 14, 2024 – A potential deepening demographic crisis due to the increased emigration of young people is one of the top economic risks Albania faces, according to the head of the European Bank for Development in Albania EBRD’s Ekaterina Solovova emphasized this week the need for concerted efforts …

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Albania government reshuffle leaves experts puzzled 

TIRANA, Jan. 14, 2024 – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has revealed the latest in a series of changes to his cabinet, reshaping two ministries and establishing a new one.  The changes feature the establishment of a ministry dedicated to fighting corruption, and a puzzling merging of the economy and …

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Two youth arrested, another wanted for trafficking drugs from US via post

Two people have been arrested and a third has been declared wanted after it was discovered that they were trafficking cannabis sattiva narcotics from the USA to Albania using the postal service. Police announced that as a result of the operation, 5 kg of cannabis sativa, with a high percentage …

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Elbasan youth arrested after punching, threatening to stab man

A 26-year-old man was arrested after a conflict over trivial motives with a person in the “Haxhias” neighborhood of Elbasan. Police revealed that the young man punched a 63-year-old man and threatened to stab him with a knife. As a result of the quick intervention, carried out as part of …

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Man prosecuted for trying to bribe Kakavija border officer

A 40-year-old man has been criminally prosecuted this Sunday after trying to bribe the border police officer in Kakavija. According to the authorities, he offered a 20 EUR bill to the employee to enter Albania without registering. Criminal proceedings started because the 40-year-old tried to bribe the Kakavije PKK Border …

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Senior citizen dies in Tirana’s criminal court

A citizen lost his life this Friday in the Criminal Court of Tirana. It is learned that the elderly man was in the court premises where he felt bad and passed away. From the preliminary data, there are doubts that he died as a result of a house arrest. After …

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Former minister of Health summoned again by Special Prosecution

Former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, in the investigation for the concession of sterilization of surgical sets, appeared again this Friday morning at 09:00 again to be questioned by the Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK). During the summoning to SPAK,. Beqaj was accompanied by his lawyer. Former minister Ilir Beqaj …

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EU Enlargement Commissioner: Albania Takes Important Step Toward EU Membership

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Albania has recently made significant progress on its path toward European Union membership. According to Kos, Albania met the Interim Benchmarks Assessment Report (IBAR) requirements on the rule of law. As a result, the country can now begin the process of closing …

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European Parliament Reaffirms Support for Albania’s EU Path, Says Schieder

Andreas Schieder said the European Parliament will reaffirm Albania’s strong commitment to the European Union. Speaking during a plenary session of the European Parliament, Schieder praised Albania’s progress in the accession process. He noted that the country opened all negotiation clusters within just 13 months. In addition, Albania recently achieved …

News
Kosovo and European Commission Review EU Support and Reform Progress

Kosovo and the European Commission held the annual meeting of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Monitoring Committee. The meeting focused on the implementation of EU financial and technical support for Kosovo. In addition, participants reviewed reforms that support Kosovo’s path toward European integration. Since 2007, the European Union has …

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Germany Reaffirms Strong Support for Albania’s EU Membership

Ferit Hoxha met with Günter Krichbaum during his visit to Luxembourg. The two officials discussed Albania’s path toward European Union membership. They also reviewed the current momentum of the EU enlargement process. Furthermore, Hoxha said they exchanged views on the opportunities created by the renewed focus on enlargement across Europe. …

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The False Civil Society and the Real One

In Albania, real civic society is no longer in donor-funded conference rooms. It is in the streets. By Mrika Temali Tirana Times, June 16, 2026 – Thirty-five years after the fall of communism, Albania offers a bitter paradox. The European Union, Western governments and international foundations have spent millions indeed …

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UEFA Inspects Albania’s Stadiums Ahead of EURO U-21 2027

UEFA representatives continued inspections in Albania as preparations advance for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2027, which Albania will co-host. First, UEFA experts visited stadiums over a four-day inspection tour. They assessed technical and operational readiness for the tournament. They focused on lighting systems, backup generators, security measures, and other …

News
Housing prices continue to rise as tourism drives property market demand

TIRANA, June 16 – Housing prices in Albania continued to rise during 2025. At the same time, transaction volumes fell in the second half of the year. The Bank of Albania said the trend requires more time and data to determine whether it reflects a slowdown or a correction after …

News
Fuel prices cut, diesel at 180 ALL per litre, petrol at 168 ALL per litre

TIRANA, June 16 – The Transparency Board has decided to reduce fuel prices in Albania. It cut diesel by 3 ALL per litre and petrol by 2 ALL per litre. Under the decision, diesel will sell at a maximum retail price of 180 ALL per litre. The board set the …

News
Albania U-19 Draw Armenia and Cyprus in Euro 2027 Qualifiers

Albania’s U-19 national team learned its opponents for the second round of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2027 qualifiers. UEFA held the draw in Nyon, Switzerland. It placed Albania U-19 in Group 6 of League B. First, Albania will face Armenia and Cyprus in the group stage. The team will …

News
US signals “adjustment of contribution” to KFOR mission

TIRANA, June 16 – The United States is expected to adjust its contribution to NATO’s KFOR mission in Kosova. The move comes as part of a broader review of the Alliance’s military presence in the country. A US European Command (EUCOM) official told Radio Free Europe that the decision follows …

News

EU Enlargement Commissioner: Albania Takes Important Step Toward EU Membership

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Albania has recently made significant progress on its path toward European Union membership. According to Kos, Albania met the Interim Benchmarks Assessment Report (IBAR) requirements on the rule of law. As a result, the country can now begin the process of closing …

News

European Parliament Reaffirms Support for Albania’s EU Path, Says Schieder

Andreas Schieder said the European Parliament will reaffirm Albania’s strong commitment to the European Union. Speaking during a plenary session of the European Parliament, Schieder praised Albania’s progress in the accession process. He noted that the country opened all negotiation clusters within just 13 months. In addition, Albania recently achieved …

News

Kosovo and European Commission Review EU Support and Reform Progress

Kosovo and the European Commission held the annual meeting of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Monitoring Committee. The meeting focused on the implementation of EU financial and technical support for Kosovo. In addition, participants reviewed reforms that support Kosovo’s path toward European integration. Since 2007, the European Union has …

News

Germany Reaffirms Strong Support for Albania’s EU Membership

Ferit Hoxha met with Günter Krichbaum during his visit to Luxembourg. The two officials discussed Albania’s path toward European Union membership. They also reviewed the current momentum of the EU enlargement process. Furthermore, Hoxha said they exchanged views on the opportunities created by the renewed focus on enlargement across Europe. …

News

The False Civil Society and the Real One

In Albania, real civic society is no longer in donor-funded conference rooms. It is in the streets. By Mrika Temali Tirana Times, June 16, 2026 – Thirty-five years after the fall of communism, Albania offers a bitter paradox. The European Union, Western governments and international foundations have spent millions indeed …

News

UEFA Inspects Albania’s Stadiums Ahead of EURO U-21 2027

UEFA representatives continued inspections in Albania as preparations advance for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2027, which Albania will co-host. First, UEFA experts visited stadiums over a four-day inspection tour. They assessed technical and operational readiness for the tournament. They focused on lighting systems, backup generators, security measures, and other …

News

Housing prices continue to rise as tourism drives property market demand

TIRANA, June 16 – Housing prices in Albania continued to rise during 2025. At the same time, transaction volumes fell in the second half of the year. The Bank of Albania said the trend requires more time and data to determine whether it reflects a slowdown or a correction after …

News

Fuel prices cut, diesel at 180 ALL per litre, petrol at 168 ALL per litre

TIRANA, June 16 – The Transparency Board has decided to reduce fuel prices in Albania. It cut diesel by 3 ALL per litre and petrol by 2 ALL per litre. Under the decision, diesel will sell at a maximum retail price of 180 ALL per litre. The board set the …

News

Albania U-19 Draw Armenia and Cyprus in Euro 2027 Qualifiers

Albania’s U-19 national team learned its opponents for the second round of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2027 qualifiers. UEFA held the draw in Nyon, Switzerland. It placed Albania U-19 in Group 6 of League B. First, Albania will face Armenia and Cyprus in the group stage. The team will …

News

US signals “adjustment of contribution” to KFOR mission

TIRANA, June 16 – The United States is expected to adjust its contribution to NATO’s KFOR mission in Kosova. The move comes as part of a broader review of the Alliance’s military presence in the country. A US European Command (EUCOM) official told Radio Free Europe that the decision follows …