Albanian Orthodox Church Gets First Ethnic Albanian Leader in Generations
The new Primate will need to be savvy, navigating between conflicting pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian currents in the small but opinionated Albanian Orthodox Church. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 23, 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
Albania’s Controversial TikTok Ban Still Not Fully Working
A government order to ban TikTok to protect children from violent material came into force more than a week ago, but the mobile phone app for the video-sharing platform is still partially working in Albania. Original post Here
Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo Sign Defense Agreement: A New Military Alliance in the Balkans?
By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania, March 19th— Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo have signed a joint declaration aimed at strengthening defense and security cooperation, marking a significant geopolitical development in the Western Balkans. The agreement, announced this week in Tirana, signals an increased level of military collaboration but stops short of …
News Analysis: A Geopolitical Shift in the Western Balkans?
The Trilateral Defense Agreement Between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo The recent signing of a trilateral defense cooperation agreement between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo marks a significant geopolitical development in the Western Balkans. This move, underscores growing security collaboration in a historically fragile region. While the agreement does not constitute a …
United Arab Emirates ‘s Expanding Influence in Albania – Financial and Political Concerns
By Tirana Times TIRANA, March 20th (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 …
Serbia Angered by Defence Pact Linking Croatia, Albania and Kosovo
A defence agreement between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo, calling for joint responses to common security challenges, has drawn a furious response from Serbia, which called it a threatening move. Original post Here
News or PR? In Edi Rama’s Albania, It’s Hard to Tell the Difference
Under Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Socialist Party, Albania’s government has been bombarding the media with carefully curated PR packages that air as ‘news’. Original post Here
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 …
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 …
Albania’s government plans to cut the number of municipalities from 61 to 46, but critics fear it will only further isolate rural communities from public services and undermine environmental protections. Original post Here
The “BeachVolleyShkodra 2026” event brought three days of sport and entertainment to Velipojë. Teams from Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro competed in beach volleyball, creating a lively atmosphere for participants and holidaymakers. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja shared footage from the event. “Three days full of energy, excitement …
The “Marubi” National Museum of Photography in Shkodër has revived the historic collaboration between Gjon Mili and Pablo Picasso after more than seven decades. Mili met Picasso in Vallauris in 1949. He then proposed an innovative idea. Picasso would draw in the air with light. Mili would capture the movement …
Brazilian DJ ALOK delivered a spectacular performance in Vlora on Sunday evening. Thousands of people gathered along the city’s Lungomare to enjoy the electronic music event. Prime Minister Edi Rama shared footage from the performance. He described the night as magical and highlighted the vibrant atmosphere along the waterfront. “Thousands …
TIRANA, August 18 – The Military Meteorological Service said Albania will experience relatively unstable atmospheric conditions on Tuesday. The weather will bring sunny periods and intervals of moderate to locally dense cloud cover from midday through the afternoon. Short spells of light rain may occur over the country’s hilly and …
TIRANA, August 18 – The Ministry of Defence said authorities recorded 13 wildfires across Albania by 20:00 on August 17. Seven remained active, while authorities monitored 3 others. A total of 424 operational personnel and 14 firefighting vehicles joined the response. The Armed Forces deployed 129 personnel, 2 firefighting vehicles, …
Tourism, Culture and Sports Minister Blendi Gonxhja attended the flag handover ceremony for Albania’s delegation to the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games. Gonxhja praised the athletes who will represent Albania at the major international sporting event. He said elite athletes remain one of the country’s greatest sporting assets. Therefore, the government …
TIRANA, August 18 – Tourism is creating new opportunities in southern Albania and encouraging some people who left the country to return, according to the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia region, known as WorldBankECA. The shift follows years of population decline, particularly among young people, even as the region …
TIRANA, August 18 – European Union countries remained Albania’s main trading partner for goods in July 2026, accounting for 53.6% of total trade, according to INSTAT. European markets also received the largest share of Albanian exports during the month. Exports to European Union countries accounted for 68.4% of Albania’s total …
The Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA) has published “FactSheet Tourism”. The guide gives investors key data on Albania’s tourism sector and its investment potential. According to the factsheet, Albania has recorded 12.5 million foreign tourists. Tourism contributes around 22% to the country’s GDP. International hotel brands also operate in Albania. …