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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Customs Administration collects 207 billion leks in revenue in first 10 months of 2026

TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – The Customs Administration collected 207 billion leks in revenue in the January-October period of 2026, an increase of 7.6 billion leks compared with the same period a year earlier, official data showed on Saturday. The figure marks the highest customs revenue recorded for the first …

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Berisha urges opposition parties to field joint candidates in local elections

TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – Main opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha has called on opposition forces to unite behind joint candidates in the upcoming local elections. Speaking during an online exchange with citizens on Saturday, Berisha said guidelines setting out the procedures for selecting candidates for mayoral positions had …

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Albania showcases tourism offer at Thessaloniki fair, seeks to deepen cooperation with Greece

TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – Albania is showcasing its tourism potential at the PHILOXENIA 2026 International Tourism Fair in Thessaloniki, Greece, from Nov. 13 to 15, seeking to expand its reach in international markets and strengthen tourism ties with neighbouring countries. As part of the event, Jola Hysaj, director-general of …

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NATO Summit Off for 2027, Raising Questions About Albania’s Ambitions

The uncertainty over the summit exposes tensions between Prime Minister Rama’s international ambitions, Albania’s limited resources and a deepening political crisis at home. TIRANA, Albania – Albania will not host a NATO summit in 2027, Prime Minister Edi Rama has acknowledged, reversing months of confident government announcements about what had been …

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Saudi Arabia Launches Innovative Business Platform for Foreign Investors

By Sidonja Manushi TIRANA, Albania – The Federation of Saudi Chambers has launched International Business Concierge (IBC), a new platform designed to facilitate the entry of foreign companies into the Saudi market, support business establishment and encourage international investment in the Kingdom. The initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader …

News
PM Rama reshuffles Socialist Party regional leadership, names Ervin Demo and Albana Koçiu to lead Tirana

Prime Minister Edi Rama announced changes to the Socialist Party’s regional leadership at a meeting of its National Assembly taking place this Saturday in Lalzi Bay. Under the reshuffle, Ervin Demo and Albana Koçiu will jointly lead the party’s operations in Tirana. The changes come as the Socialist Party prepares …

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PM Rama says European Commission made ‘historic’ recommendation for Albania to begin EU accession treaty preparations in 2027

Speaking at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, Prime Minister Edi Rama discussed the European Commission’s latest enlargement report, describing its recommendation for Albania as historic. Rama said the report contained a passage that, in his view, had received too little attention given its significance for Albania’s European integration. He was …

News
PM Rama on protests: ‘They threw stones and Molotov cocktails. Now it’s our turn to speak to citizens in every neighbourhood and village’

Prime Minister Edi Rama commented on the protests that have taken place across Albania in recent weeks, saying demonstrators had thrown stones and Molotov cocktails. He said the Socialist Party would step up its efforts to engage with citizens. Speaking at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, Rama said the opposition …

News
PM Rama says 60% of media content is against the government, accuses TV channels of glorifying violence and proposes national debate

Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to criticism of media freedom in Albania, claiming that government critics are widely represented in the Albanian media and that Albania stands apart from other countries when it comes to freedom of expression. Speaking at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, Rama said 60% of the …

News
Berisha: Never has an EU report been more critical—there is simply no perspective left under Rama

TIRANA, November 14 /ATA/ – Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha spoke today during an online discussion with supporters. He addressed Prime Minister Rama’s speech at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, as well as recent developments—specifically the European Commission’s report and the decision against holding the 2027 NATO summit in Tirana, …

News

Customs Administration collects 207 billion leks in revenue in first 10 months of 2026

TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – The Customs Administration collected 207 billion leks in revenue in the January-October period of 2026, an increase of 7.6 billion leks compared with the same period a year earlier, official data showed on Saturday. The figure marks the highest customs revenue recorded for the first …

News

Berisha urges opposition parties to field joint candidates in local elections

TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – Main opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha has called on opposition forces to unite behind joint candidates in the upcoming local elections. Speaking during an online exchange with citizens on Saturday, Berisha said guidelines setting out the procedures for selecting candidates for mayoral positions had …

News

Albania showcases tourism offer at Thessaloniki fair, seeks to deepen cooperation with Greece

TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – Albania is showcasing its tourism potential at the PHILOXENIA 2026 International Tourism Fair in Thessaloniki, Greece, from Nov. 13 to 15, seeking to expand its reach in international markets and strengthen tourism ties with neighbouring countries. As part of the event, Jola Hysaj, director-general of …

News

NATO Summit Off for 2027, Raising Questions About Albania’s Ambitions

The uncertainty over the summit exposes tensions between Prime Minister Rama’s international ambitions, Albania’s limited resources and a deepening political crisis at home. TIRANA, Albania – Albania will not host a NATO summit in 2027, Prime Minister Edi Rama has acknowledged, reversing months of confident government announcements about what had been …

News

Saudi Arabia Launches Innovative Business Platform for Foreign Investors

By Sidonja Manushi TIRANA, Albania – The Federation of Saudi Chambers has launched International Business Concierge (IBC), a new platform designed to facilitate the entry of foreign companies into the Saudi market, support business establishment and encourage international investment in the Kingdom. The initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader …

News

PM Rama reshuffles Socialist Party regional leadership, names Ervin Demo and Albana Koçiu to lead Tirana

Prime Minister Edi Rama announced changes to the Socialist Party’s regional leadership at a meeting of its National Assembly taking place this Saturday in Lalzi Bay. Under the reshuffle, Ervin Demo and Albana Koçiu will jointly lead the party’s operations in Tirana. The changes come as the Socialist Party prepares …

News

PM Rama says European Commission made ‘historic’ recommendation for Albania to begin EU accession treaty preparations in 2027

Speaking at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, Prime Minister Edi Rama discussed the European Commission’s latest enlargement report, describing its recommendation for Albania as historic. Rama said the report contained a passage that, in his view, had received too little attention given its significance for Albania’s European integration. He was …

News

PM Rama on protests: ‘They threw stones and Molotov cocktails. Now it’s our turn to speak to citizens in every neighbourhood and village’

Prime Minister Edi Rama commented on the protests that have taken place across Albania in recent weeks, saying demonstrators had thrown stones and Molotov cocktails. He said the Socialist Party would step up its efforts to engage with citizens. Speaking at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, Rama said the opposition …

News

PM Rama says 60% of media content is against the government, accuses TV channels of glorifying violence and proposes national debate

Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to criticism of media freedom in Albania, claiming that government critics are widely represented in the Albanian media and that Albania stands apart from other countries when it comes to freedom of expression. Speaking at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, Rama said 60% of the …

News

Berisha: Never has an EU report been more critical—there is simply no perspective left under Rama

TIRANA, November 14 /ATA/ – Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha spoke today during an online discussion with supporters. He addressed Prime Minister Rama’s speech at the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, as well as recent developments—specifically the European Commission’s report and the decision against holding the 2027 NATO summit in Tirana, …