Week in Review: High Ambitions and Missed Opportunities
Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at future goals as well as lost opportunities from the past. Original post Here
Diaspora Summit seen as key cooperation platform, EU membership remains strategic priority for Albania
TIRANA, April 10 – Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha said the Fourth Diaspora Summit represents an important national event aimed at strengthening ties between Albanian institutions and citizens living abroad. He spoke during a media conference ahead of the gathering. He said the main objective is to turn the summit into …
Finance minister urges wage transparency and sector formalisation in tourism meeting in Berat
TIRANA, April 10 – Finance Minister Petrit Malaj met tourism businesses in Berat to discuss sector challenges and tax compliance. He was joined by Tax Administration Director General Ilir Binaj. The meeting focused on cooperation with tax authorities and progress in implementing the operational plan for the region. During the …
PM Rama tells pensioners pensions could rise fivefold by 2030 as economy stabilises
TIRANA, April 10 – Prime Minister Edi Rama met pensioners in Tirana’s Unit 2 to discuss economic growth, social policies, and pension reform. He said the government will continue support through annual bonuses and gradual pension increases across categories. During the discussion, Rama said the government has entered a new …
“€100 Million to Connect the Mountains with the Sea”: Government Approves “Gateway to the Alps” Project for Shkodër
The Albanian government has approved a new project for the Shkodër region called “Gateway to the Alps.” Through this project, €100 million in infrastructure investments are planned across the entire region, aiming to give a significant boost to tourism development, from the Alps all the way to the coast of …
36 New Recruits from Non-Majority Communities Join the Kosovo Security Force
The Kosovo Security Force has announced that, in a solemn ceremony held today at the “Skënderbeu” barracks in Ferizaj, 36 recruits from non-majority communities were certified and have officially joined the force as its soldiers. During the ceremony, it was stated that the recruits came from Turkish, Ashkali, Bosniak, Roma, …
Minister of Justice: The System Must Not Punish Twice for the Same Offense
The Constitutional Court and the National Chamber of Advocates held a conference where one of the fundamental principles of criminal law was discussed — the prohibition of double trial or punishment for the same criminal offense. In essence, this principle guarantees that a person cannot be prosecuted or punished more …
Government Approves Rules for the Organization of Gambling Activities
The Council of Ministers approved this Friday the rules for the organization and functioning of the Project Support Council, a new structure established under the Gambling Supervision Authority. The decision defines in detail the procedures for establishing, organizing, and operating this council, which will play a key role in supporting …
Interview of the Ambassador of the European Union to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, for Euronews
Journalist: I’m in the TV studio with the Ambassador of the European Union in our country, Mr. Silvio Gonzato. Z. Ambasador, thank you for joining us. I would like to start with a question that every Albanian asks, although we hear at the news every day, and political parties give …
“Pensions Will Increase Every January,” PM Rama: Card for Basic Goods if Prices Rise
Prime Minister Edi Rama held a meeting on Friday with pensioners from Unit No. 2. Rama stated that the real increase in pensions began in January and will continue progressively every January. “At last, the moment has come when the economy has made this possible; starting from January, you are …
North Macedonia’s Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said that, despite the convictions, the four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders “remain Kosovo’s liberators.” “Today’s verdict is a first-instance decision, while the battle for justice continues,” Gashi wrote on social media. Gashi called for calm. He also said that Thaçi, Krasniqi, Veseli …
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Richard Grenell, reacted following the guilty verdict issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against the KLA leaders. Grenell said that Albin Kurti must act quickly to dissolve this foreign court. “The sentence handed down by The Hague court against Hashim Thaçi, …
During a press conference in Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić commented on the decision to sentence the former KLA leaders to a combined 81 years in prison, urging Serbs not to consider the process over and not to celebrate. He continued to insist that the judgment did not include what …
American professor and Balkan affairs expert Daniel Serwer has reacted following the guilty verdict issued by the Specialist Chambers against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. In an opinion piece published on his website, “Peacefare.net,” Serwer said that Americans and Europeans should be ashamed for criminalizing a liberation …
Human rights organization Amnesty International said that the war crimes convictions of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and three other former senior officials of the Kosovo Liberation Army give hope to victims who have waited for justice “for more than two decades.” Esther Major, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for …
The convictions of Hashim Thaçi and three other former KLA leaders have shaken Kosovo. But beyond the sentences, the verdict has intensified scrutiny of how the Specialist Chambers were created, how the trial was conducted and whether an institution established under strong Western pressure can command the legitimacy international justice …
Top politicians in Kosovo said the Hague judgment finding ex-President Thaci and three other Kosovo Liberation Army ex-leaders guilty of war crimes was unjust – but a Serbian minister said it proved the KLA was ‘criminal’. Original post Here
The United States said it respects the verdict issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. Washington also called on all sides to respect the court’s decision. “We respect today’s verdict of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told …
Prime Minister Edi Rama visited Korçë today to attend a public consultation meeting on the new Administrative-Territorial Reform. Rama said larger administrative units could improve access to another category of European Union funds. He also said the reform could bring more investment to local communities. “What we are doing today …
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the convictions and sentences against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi an “unacceptable injustice.” “The convictions and heavy sentences against four former KLA leaders represent an unacceptable injustice. They also represent a serious and harmful punishment,” Kurti said. Kurti also challenged …