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Kosovo PM Haradinaj pledges to fight extremism and terrorism

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has received on Monday the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Pete Marocco. Haradinaj has pledged to fight radicalism and extremism. The meeting was attended also by the US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie. Original post Here

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Serbia’s President Vucic follows Kosovo’s PM Pacolli in Twitter

Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, is now following on Twitter Kosovo Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli. Original post Here

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OSCE asks solving of Oliver Ivanovic’s murder

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo called on Kosovo institutions to solve the killing of Kosovo Serb politician, Oliver Ivanovic, who was shot dead on 16 January 2018 in Mitrovica North. Original post Here

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European Commission to publish its recommendation on visas for Kosovo Thursday

Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner for migration, is expected to visit Kosovo on Thursday. Reportedly the EC senior official is expected to address Kosovo Parliament and confirm before Kosovo MPs that the Commission gave positive recommendation on waving visas for Kosovo citizens. Original post Here

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Kosovo PM Haradinaj to meet US Deputy Assistant Secretary Marocco

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj will receive today the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Pete Marocco. Original post Here

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Chinese Ambassador: ‘Kosovo is Serbia’

Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade, Li Manchang, said to Beijing Kosovo is Serbia and that is not going to change. Original post Here

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Erdogan supporters march in Pristina on anniversary of failed coup in Turkey

Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyp Erdogan marched Sunday in Pristina to commemorate the anniversary of 2016 year’s failed coup in Turkey. Original post Here

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Serbs continue building wall near the Mitrovica Bridge

Kosovo Serbs continued Sunday building a long wall in the northern part of Iber Bridge in Mitrovica. The wall is being built in the “Kolasinska” street near the “King Petar” square and will be long 37.5 meters with the height up to 70 centimetres. Original post Here

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Kosovo’s aspiration is UN membership, don’t discuss statehood with Serbia

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, on 18 July is set to meet in Brussels his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, in the framework of EU-facilitated dialogue. Thaci will be accompanied by a high level delegation composed of the state leaders including Speaker of Parliament Kadri Veseli, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj who will …

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Kosovo leaders set to meet Mogherini on 18 July in Brussels

Leaders of ruling coalition parties have reached an agreement on Friday on representation of Kosovo in the dialogue with Serbia. The leaders of the main coalition parties have decided to travel to Brussels on 18 July to meet the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who is facilitator of the …

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Arrests at Bankers Petroleum Spark Questions Over Albania’s Oil Industry and Accountability

By Tirana Times Staff FIER/TIRANA, July 2, 2025 — In a stunning development that has shaken Albania’s oil sector, police arrested the current CEO of Bankers Petroleum, Chinese national Hongping Xiao, and the company’s former director, Leonidha Çobo, during a surprise raid on the company’s headquarters in Fier on Tuesday. …

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Massive Fraud Uncovered: Bankers Petroleum Under Fire for Decades of Tax Evasion and Billions in Untaxed Oil Revenues

CEO Arrested, €4 Billion in Oil Sales Revealed, and Zero Profit Tax Paid to the Albanian State FIER/TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) — Albania’s largest oil producer, Bankers Petroleum, is at the center of a sweeping scandal that prosecutors say involves one of the most egregious cases of tax fraud and …

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Rama Rebukes Farage: Albanian PM Slams “One-in-50” Prison Claim as Post-Brexit Scapegoating

 While Turning UK Migration Debate into Personal Stagecraft TIRANA TIMES — July 2, 2025 — A fiery public exchange between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and British right-wing populist Nigel Farage has brought the issue of Albanian migration into the political spotlight once again — but this time with a …

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Skopje Summit Revives EU Enlargement Hopes — But Ignores the Democratic Erosion in the Balkans

The participants of the Growth Plan Summit, 1 July 2025, Skopje; Photo: European Commission By Tirana Times SKOPJE, July 2, 2025 — The European Union’s renewed enthusiasm for enlargement took center stage at this week’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, where EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined the leaders …

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Albania’s ‘Lads of London’ Create Bigger Problems for Their Home Country

A social media row between British right-winger Nigel Farage and Albania’s premier Edi Rama over the level of crime committed by Albanians in the UK misses the main point. Original post Here

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The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is filled with well-documented episodes of collective madness. Often, these episodes have culminated in crises that brought even the greatest empires to their knees—such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble. In other cases, they have devastated the lives …

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Balkan Investigative Reporting Highlights: 20 Stories from 20 Years

As BIRN marks its 20th anniversary, here’s a diverse selection of investigations picked from two decades of in-depth reporting on one of Europe’s most complex and challenging regions. Original post Here

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Rama Forces UK’s Farage Onto Backfoot Over Albanian Criminals

British far-right leader fails to land a punch with Albania’s prime minister in fiery row on social media over the number of Albanians held in UK jails. Original post Here

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NATO’s Defence Spending Plan Poses Challenge for Balkan States

The Western military alliance’s new national spending benchmark on defence and security may cause problems for smaller and poorer NATO member states in the Balkans who cannot afford 5 per cent of GDP. Original post Here

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Rule of Law or Rule by Law? Albania’s EU Path Faces a Crisis of Credibility

Jerina Zaloshnja As Albania accelerates the formal process of European Union accession—opening negotiation chapters at a pace that seems to outstrip democratic reforms—it faces an urgent and unavoidable truth: a country cannot genuinely integrate into the EU without first building a functioning rule-of-law society. No volume of technical chapters opened …

News

Arrests at Bankers Petroleum Spark Questions Over Albania’s Oil Industry and Accountability

By Tirana Times Staff FIER/TIRANA, July 2, 2025 — In a stunning development that has shaken Albania’s oil sector, police arrested the current CEO of Bankers Petroleum, Chinese national Hongping Xiao, and the company’s former director, Leonidha Çobo, during a surprise raid on the company’s headquarters in Fier on Tuesday. …

News

Massive Fraud Uncovered: Bankers Petroleum Under Fire for Decades of Tax Evasion and Billions in Untaxed Oil Revenues

CEO Arrested, €4 Billion in Oil Sales Revealed, and Zero Profit Tax Paid to the Albanian State FIER/TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) — Albania’s largest oil producer, Bankers Petroleum, is at the center of a sweeping scandal that prosecutors say involves one of the most egregious cases of tax fraud and …

News

Rama Rebukes Farage: Albanian PM Slams “One-in-50” Prison Claim as Post-Brexit Scapegoating

 While Turning UK Migration Debate into Personal Stagecraft TIRANA TIMES — July 2, 2025 — A fiery public exchange between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and British right-wing populist Nigel Farage has brought the issue of Albanian migration into the political spotlight once again — but this time with a …

News

Skopje Summit Revives EU Enlargement Hopes — But Ignores the Democratic Erosion in the Balkans

The participants of the Growth Plan Summit, 1 July 2025, Skopje; Photo: European Commission By Tirana Times SKOPJE, July 2, 2025 — The European Union’s renewed enthusiasm for enlargement took center stage at this week’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, where EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined the leaders …

News

Albania’s ‘Lads of London’ Create Bigger Problems for Their Home Country

A social media row between British right-winger Nigel Farage and Albania’s premier Edi Rama over the level of crime committed by Albanians in the UK misses the main point. Original post Here

News

The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is filled with well-documented episodes of collective madness. Often, these episodes have culminated in crises that brought even the greatest empires to their knees—such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble. In other cases, they have devastated the lives …

News

Balkan Investigative Reporting Highlights: 20 Stories from 20 Years

As BIRN marks its 20th anniversary, here’s a diverse selection of investigations picked from two decades of in-depth reporting on one of Europe’s most complex and challenging regions. Original post Here

News

Rama Forces UK’s Farage Onto Backfoot Over Albanian Criminals

British far-right leader fails to land a punch with Albania’s prime minister in fiery row on social media over the number of Albanians held in UK jails. Original post Here

News

NATO’s Defence Spending Plan Poses Challenge for Balkan States

The Western military alliance’s new national spending benchmark on defence and security may cause problems for smaller and poorer NATO member states in the Balkans who cannot afford 5 per cent of GDP. Original post Here

News

Rule of Law or Rule by Law? Albania’s EU Path Faces a Crisis of Credibility

Jerina Zaloshnja As Albania accelerates the formal process of European Union accession—opening negotiation chapters at a pace that seems to outstrip democratic reforms—it faces an urgent and unavoidable truth: a country cannot genuinely integrate into the EU without first building a functioning rule-of-law society. No volume of technical chapters opened …