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Luxury Cruise Le Boréal Brings 200 Tourists to Sarandë

The luxury cruise ship Le Boréal arrived on Friday at the port of Sarandë, marking its first visit to the coastal city. First, the 142-meter French-owned vessel brought around 200 international tourists to Albania’s southern coastline. Most of the passengers, about 180 visitors, came from France, while the rest arrived …

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Sami Frashëri, Enlightenment thinker who inspired the Albanian National Awakening of 19th century

TIRANA, June 1 – Enlightenment thinker and ideologue of the Albanian National Awakening Sami Frashëri was born on June 1, 1850 in Frashër, Përmet. He completed his early education in his hometown. He later studied at the “Zosimea” gymnasium in Ioannina. There, he learned several foreign languages, including Ancient Greek, …

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Albania at the Center of a Magical Balkan Travel Route, Writes La Vanguardia

Albania has emerged as a key highlight in a growing Balkan travel route that is attracting strong international attention, according to an article published in the Spanish magazine La Vanguardia. First, the article describes the Balkans as one of Europe’s most in-demand tourist regions this year, driven by a mix …

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Bekim Fehmiu, the Albanian “Ulysses”

TIRANA, June 1 – Actor of Albanian origin Bekim Fehmiu was born on June 1, 1936 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He studied film at the University of Belgrade between 1956 and 1960. He later built an international career through films such as “Odyssey” and “The Feather Collectors”. These works …

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Virtual farming assistant launched at digital agriculture conference

TIRANA, June 1 – Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Andis Salla said Albania’s agricultural sector will rely increasingly on technology and real-time data, as officials presented “YLLI”, the first virtual assistant for Albanian farmers, at the “Digital Agriculture for Albania 2030” conference in Tirana. The new tool forms part of …

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Elite tourism can boost revenue and support wider economy, says prime minister

TIRANA, June 1 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania should aim for a higher level of tourism development as the country considers major investment projects such as the one planned in Zvërnec. Speaking on Monday, Rama said authorities have not yet received the project and have not completed the …

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Fun Fair Albania ends with Children’s Day celebrations in Tirana

TIRANA, June 1 – Fun Fair Albania concluded on Monday after four days of activities that began on May 29. The event offered entertainment and recreational activities from morning until evening. Children’s Day brought additional crowds to the fair. As a result, dozens of activities, games, creative workshops and surprises …

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Four Scenarios for Democracy in the Western Balkans: From Hope to Disenchantment

By the year 2040, will countries in the region choose to consolidate democracy, settle for ‘stabilitocracy’, or descend into full-blown authoritarianism? Original post Here

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Monday Briefing from the Balkans: June 1, 2026

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

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Swedish media Dagens highlights Albania as emerging European tourist destination

TIRANA, June 1 – Albania is emerging as a new European tourism destination. Swedish media outlet “Dagens” reports growing interest from European travelers and describes Albania as more affordable than Spain and Greece, while also comparing it with Italy. Meanwhile, “Dagens” highlights Albania’s beaches, natural landscapes and competitive prices. It …

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Bank of Albania governor Sejko meets European Central Bank Executive Board member Cipollone

Bank of Albania Governor Gent Sejko met European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone to discuss payment modernisation and Albania’s financial integration with the European Union. Cipollone is visiting Albania to attend the eighth International Conference on Regional Card Schemes and Financial Market Infrastructures for Small-Value Payments. Sejko highlighted …

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PM Rama says Albania has entered the final stretch of EU accession negotiations

Prime Minister Edi Rama has described the European Commission’s 2026 progress report as the best Albania has ever received. He made the remarks at a joint press conference with European Union Ambassador Sofia Moreira de Sousa, who formally presented the report. Rama said the document marked a new path towards …

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EU Ambassador: European Commission’s Progress Report Sends a Simple Message — Albania Has Made Progress

Prime Minister Edi Rama and the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, held a joint press conference on Thursday, one day after the European Commission published its progress report on Albania. During her remarks, the EU Ambassador said the report’s clear message was that Albania had made …

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Protests in Tirana, EU Ambassador: Violence Has No Place in Democracy, Create Space for Dialogue

The European Union Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, called on institutions to create space for dialogue to address public grievances expressed through protests in Tirana, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama. Moreira de Sousa stressed that violence has no place in a democracy and …

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Could the Protests Turn Into a Student Movement Like Serbia’s? Rama: Albania and Serbia Have Nothing in Common

The mass protests in Albania were also discussed during a joint press conference held by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa. Asked by reporters whether the protests could develop into a student movement similar to the mass demonstrations in Serbia, which …

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Ambassador De Sousa: Albania’s EU membership by 2029 possible, accelerated reforms required

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ – Albania could become a member of the European Union by 2029, but achieving that goal will require substantial efforts and faster progress in implementing reforms, EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said on Thursday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Prime Minister …

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Berisha: European Commission report calls for comprehensive electoral reform, rejects territorial reform

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha said today that the European Commission’s Progress Report on Albania highlights the adoption of draft laws put forward by the governing majority without transparency or public consultation. He described this practice as evidence of a lack of transparency in Parliament and …

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Photojournalist Gani Xhengo: ATA photographs bear witness to Albania’s history and collective memory

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/  – Gani Xhengo, a photojournalist who worked for the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) from 1970 to 1998, visited the photographic exhibition “32 Images, 32 Stories – An Albania in Transformation” at the Klik Ekspo Group trade fair on Thursday, sharing memories and insights from his career …

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Berisha: EC calls on Albania to make 115 changes next year

TIRANA, November 5 /ATSH/ – Chairman of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha reacted today to the European Commission’s annual progress report on Albania. In a statement to the media, Berisha appreciated the report as unprecedented in the history of relations between Albania and the European Union. He remarked that, in …

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Students ask Constitutional Court to repeal three normative acts on protests

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ Students from the “Students in Protest” and “Student Revolution” groups, together with four civil society organisations, today filed three complaints with the Constitutional Court challenging acts adopted by the government on 28 October 2026. The students said their challenges concern Normative Acts No. 5/2026 and No. 6/2026, …

News

Bank of Albania governor Sejko meets European Central Bank Executive Board member Cipollone

Bank of Albania Governor Gent Sejko met European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone to discuss payment modernisation and Albania’s financial integration with the European Union. Cipollone is visiting Albania to attend the eighth International Conference on Regional Card Schemes and Financial Market Infrastructures for Small-Value Payments. Sejko highlighted …

News

PM Rama says Albania has entered the final stretch of EU accession negotiations

Prime Minister Edi Rama has described the European Commission’s 2026 progress report as the best Albania has ever received. He made the remarks at a joint press conference with European Union Ambassador Sofia Moreira de Sousa, who formally presented the report. Rama said the document marked a new path towards …

News

EU Ambassador: European Commission’s Progress Report Sends a Simple Message — Albania Has Made Progress

Prime Minister Edi Rama and the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, held a joint press conference on Thursday, one day after the European Commission published its progress report on Albania. During her remarks, the EU Ambassador said the report’s clear message was that Albania had made …

News

Protests in Tirana, EU Ambassador: Violence Has No Place in Democracy, Create Space for Dialogue

The European Union Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, called on institutions to create space for dialogue to address public grievances expressed through protests in Tirana, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama. Moreira de Sousa stressed that violence has no place in a democracy and …

News

Could the Protests Turn Into a Student Movement Like Serbia’s? Rama: Albania and Serbia Have Nothing in Common

The mass protests in Albania were also discussed during a joint press conference held by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa. Asked by reporters whether the protests could develop into a student movement similar to the mass demonstrations in Serbia, which …

News

Ambassador De Sousa: Albania’s EU membership by 2029 possible, accelerated reforms required

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ – Albania could become a member of the European Union by 2029, but achieving that goal will require substantial efforts and faster progress in implementing reforms, EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said on Thursday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Prime Minister …

News

Berisha: European Commission report calls for comprehensive electoral reform, rejects territorial reform

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha said today that the European Commission’s Progress Report on Albania highlights the adoption of draft laws put forward by the governing majority without transparency or public consultation. He described this practice as evidence of a lack of transparency in Parliament and …

News

Photojournalist Gani Xhengo: ATA photographs bear witness to Albania’s history and collective memory

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/  – Gani Xhengo, a photojournalist who worked for the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) from 1970 to 1998, visited the photographic exhibition “32 Images, 32 Stories – An Albania in Transformation” at the Klik Ekspo Group trade fair on Thursday, sharing memories and insights from his career …

News

Berisha: EC calls on Albania to make 115 changes next year

TIRANA, November 5 /ATSH/ – Chairman of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha reacted today to the European Commission’s annual progress report on Albania. In a statement to the media, Berisha appreciated the report as unprecedented in the history of relations between Albania and the European Union. He remarked that, in …

News

Students ask Constitutional Court to repeal three normative acts on protests

TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ Students from the “Students in Protest” and “Student Revolution” groups, together with four civil society organisations, today filed three complaints with the Constitutional Court challenging acts adopted by the government on 28 October 2026. The students said their challenges concern Normative Acts No. 5/2026 and No. 6/2026, …