Blog
News

US rebuts Serbia’s fraudulent claims: Countries are not derecognising Kosovo

Eliot Engel, US Congressman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, says Serbia’s fraudulent claims that countries are turning their backs on Kosovo are false. Original post Here

Read More
News

EU-facilitated Dialogue: Mogherini meets Thaci and Vucic in Brussels

The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini meets with Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia to discuss comprehensive normalisation of relations. Original post Here

Read More
News

EU-facilitated Dialogue: Mogherini meets Thaci and Vucic in Brussels

The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini meets with Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia to discuss comprehensive normalisation of relations. Original post Here

Read More
News

Mogherini’s Office: Thaci-Vucic to continue work on normalisation phase of dialogue

The Office of the High Representative of the European Union and Vice-President of the Commission, says that presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia, who are set to meet on Sunday in Brussels under Mogherini’s facilitation, are expected to continue their work on comprehensive normalisation phase of …

Read More
News

Mogherini’s Office: Thaci-Vucic to continue work on normalisation phase of dialogue

The Office of the High Representative of the European Union and Vice-President of the Commission, says that presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia, who are set to meet on Sunday in Brussels under Mogherini’s facilitation, are expected to continue their work on comprehensive normalisation phase of …

Read More
News

Fajon hopes the EC will soon deliver its assessment on visas for Kosovo

The European Commission is expected that by the end of this month to evaluate whether Kosovo has fulfilled all the benchmarks on visa liberalisation. Kosovo state leaders insist that citizens will move without visas in the EU’s Schengen area within 2018. However they are asked not to make promises on …

Read More
News

Fajon hopes the EC will soon deliver its assessment on visas for Kosovo

The European Commission is expected that by the end of this month to evaluate whether Kosovo has fulfilled all the benchmarks on visa liberalisation. Kosovo state leaders insist that citizens will move without visas in the EU’s Schengen area within 2018. However they are asked not to make promises on …

Read More
News

Kosovo ambiguous road to visa-free travel

The road ahead for Kosovo to get visa liberalisation is bumpy. The country is currently awaiting a European Commission assessment that is expected to give the green light to visa liberalisation. The next step is the European Parliament, where it is believed that there will not be many obstacles due …

Read More
News

Kosovo ambiguous road to visa-free travel

The road ahead for Kosovo to get visa liberalisation is bumpy. The country is currently awaiting a European Commission assessment that is expected to give the green light to visa liberalisation. The next step is the European Parliament, where it is believed that there will not be many obstacles due …

Read More
News

Liberia refutes Serbian officials, they have not revoked Kosovo’s recognition

Liberia has reaffirmed on Friday bilateral relations with Kosovo, thus rebutting Serbian officials who claimed this African country has revoked recognition of Kosovo as independent state. Original post Here

Read More
News
EU’s Democratic Blind Spot in the Balkans

By Genc Pollo The European Union’s stance on democracy in the Balkans is increasingly difficult to defend. The recent visit of EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to Albania is a glaring example of Brussels’ selective engagement, where stability appears to take precedence over genuine democratic governance. Despite mounting evidence of …

News
Albanian Court Upholds Detention of Tirana Mayor Amid Corruption Investigation

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania Venesday March 12th—A special appeals court in Albania has upheld the pretrial detention of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, rejecting his request for a more lenient security measure. The ruling, reaffirmed on Monday by Judge Engert Pëllumbi, has sparked significant controversy, with Veliaj’s legal team and …

News
Albanian Orthodox Church Elects New Archbishop Following Unanimous Vote

The Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church has elected Metropolitan Joan Pelushi of Korça as the new Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania. The 69-year-old cleric succeeds Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, marking a historic transition for the Church after more than three decades of leadership under the Greek- born …

News
Albanian Government Doubles Cost of ‘Smart City’ Project Without Transparency

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times ) The Albanian government has nearly doubled the projected cost of its “Smart City” initiative, now expected to cost $118.5 million—up from the initially planned $60 million—raising concerns over transparency, lack of competition, and the protection of personal data. The government announced the …

News
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 17, 2025

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
Albania Appeal Court Orders Tirana Mayor to Stay in Custody

Appeals court dismisses plea to release the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, who is in detention as charges of corruption and money laundering are investigated. Original post Here

News
Communist-Era Bunkers Leave Lasting Mark on Albania’s Landscape

Albania’s communist-era military bunkers – now a tourist attraction but also a reource for experimental artists – are dotted everywhere, from beaches to mountain tops. Original post Here

News
Sweden Reaffirms Strong Support for Albania’s EU Accession Amid Geopolitical Shifts

By Lutfi Dervishi Sweden remains a steadfast supporter of Albania’s European Union accession, citing the importance of enlargement in the wake of geopolitical shifts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Minister for European Union Affairs and Nordic Cooperation Jessica Rosencrantz, who vizited today  (March 10th) Albania,highlighted Sweden’s commitment to a merit-based …

News
Ollga Plumbi – The Woman from the Future

By  Valentina Leskaj   Ollga, the woman with deep black eyes, who appears so elegant in an old photograph wearing a hat, often comes to my mind whenever we discuss the Women’s Movement. Her portrait, as she spoke to me in that simple but beautiful house on Rruga e Kavajës, …

News
Behind Albania’s Forest Crisis: Governance, Economy, and EU Accession

This article was produced as part of the Thematic Networks of PULSE, a European initiative that supports transnational journalistic collaborations   The woodlands of Albania are a verdant expanse that once covered nearly half of the country’s rugged and mountainous terrain.  In these past 25 years, however, they have been …

News

EU’s Democratic Blind Spot in the Balkans

By Genc Pollo The European Union’s stance on democracy in the Balkans is increasingly difficult to defend. The recent visit of EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to Albania is a glaring example of Brussels’ selective engagement, where stability appears to take precedence over genuine democratic governance. Despite mounting evidence of …

News

Albanian Court Upholds Detention of Tirana Mayor Amid Corruption Investigation

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania Venesday March 12th—A special appeals court in Albania has upheld the pretrial detention of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, rejecting his request for a more lenient security measure. The ruling, reaffirmed on Monday by Judge Engert Pëllumbi, has sparked significant controversy, with Veliaj’s legal team and …

News

Albanian Orthodox Church Elects New Archbishop Following Unanimous Vote

The Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church has elected Metropolitan Joan Pelushi of Korça as the new Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania. The 69-year-old cleric succeeds Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, marking a historic transition for the Church after more than three decades of leadership under the Greek- born …

News

Albanian Government Doubles Cost of ‘Smart City’ Project Without Transparency

By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times ) The Albanian government has nearly doubled the projected cost of its “Smart City” initiative, now expected to cost $118.5 million—up from the initially planned $60 million—raising concerns over transparency, lack of competition, and the protection of personal data. The government announced the …

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 17, 2025

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

Albania Appeal Court Orders Tirana Mayor to Stay in Custody

Appeals court dismisses plea to release the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, who is in detention as charges of corruption and money laundering are investigated. Original post Here

News

Communist-Era Bunkers Leave Lasting Mark on Albania’s Landscape

Albania’s communist-era military bunkers – now a tourist attraction but also a reource for experimental artists – are dotted everywhere, from beaches to mountain tops. Original post Here

News

Sweden Reaffirms Strong Support for Albania’s EU Accession Amid Geopolitical Shifts

By Lutfi Dervishi Sweden remains a steadfast supporter of Albania’s European Union accession, citing the importance of enlargement in the wake of geopolitical shifts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Minister for European Union Affairs and Nordic Cooperation Jessica Rosencrantz, who vizited today  (March 10th) Albania,highlighted Sweden’s commitment to a merit-based …

News

Ollga Plumbi – The Woman from the Future

By  Valentina Leskaj   Ollga, the woman with deep black eyes, who appears so elegant in an old photograph wearing a hat, often comes to my mind whenever we discuss the Women’s Movement. Her portrait, as she spoke to me in that simple but beautiful house on Rruga e Kavajës, …

News

Behind Albania’s Forest Crisis: Governance, Economy, and EU Accession

This article was produced as part of the Thematic Networks of PULSE, a European initiative that supports transnational journalistic collaborations   The woodlands of Albania are a verdant expanse that once covered nearly half of the country’s rugged and mountainous terrain.  In these past 25 years, however, they have been …