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President Begaj and Speaker Peleshi deliver Orthodox Easter wishes from Korça

TIRANA, April 12 – President Bajram Begaj visited the cathedral in Korça on Sunday and extended Easter wishes to Orthodox believers and all Albanians. In a statement to the media, Begaj wished peace, love, and prosperity. He called for greater solidarity and mutual respect in society. He said the light …

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Christian Orthodox Easter in Albania: faith, tradition and a day of celebration

TIRANA, April 12 – Orthodox believers across Albania celebrate Easter today, marking one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. The feast reflects faith, renewal, and hope, while bringing families and communities together across the country. The roots of Orthodox Christianity in Albania date back to the early …

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Believers receive Easter light at Tirana Orthodox Cathedral midnight service

TIRANA, April 12 – Orthodox believers gathered at the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral to celebrate Easter with the traditional midnight liturgy. The call “Come receive light from the unsetting light” marked the start of one of the most solemn services in the Orthodox calendar. Large numbers of worshippers attended the …

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President Begaj extends Easter wishes, calls for spread of faith and hope

TIRANA, April 12 – President Bajram Begaj extended Easter greetings to Orthodox believers, marking the celebration with a message of faith, hope, and renewal. In a social media post, he wished that the light of God’s presence spreads everywhere and illuminates lives with belief and joy. He accompanied the message …

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Prime Minister Rama extends Orthodox Easter greetings to believers

TIRANA, April 12 – Prime Minister Edi Rama extended Easter greetings to Orthodox believers, marking the celebration with a message shared on social media. In his post, he wished followers a blessed morning and a happy Orthodox Easter. His message comes as believers across Albania celebrate one of the most …

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Easter celebration in Dhërmi features drone and fireworks display

TIRANA, April 12 – Dhërmi turned into a festive scene on Easter Eve, as hundreds of Orthodox believers gathered to celebrate the Holy Day. The coastal village hosted large crowds who joined prayers and candlelit rituals marking one of the most important dates in the Orthodox calendar. The atmosphere combined …

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Albania’s EU bid faces IBAR delay

Tirana Times, April 11, 2026 – Albania’s path toward European Union membership has entered a more uncertain phase as discussions over a key assessment report remain unfinished, exposing a gap between technical progress in reforms and the political consensus required among member states to move forward. At the center of …

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Corruption Has Already Killed the Economy

By Gjergj Erebara Tirana Times, April 11, 2026 – Prime Minister Edi Rama recently declared that he feels offended by the widespread assumption that his government is systemically corrupt, offering as a counterargument that this “cannot be true” because the country is experiencing economic growth. This is an unconvincing argument. …

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Serbia Faces Mounting Scrutiny as Democratic Backsliding Deepens

Serbia could lose €1.36 billion from the EU Growth Plan over rule of law and democratic concerns, according to the European Movement in Serbia. Tirana Times, April 11, 2026 – Serbia’s path toward European Union membership is facing renewed uncertainty amid growing concerns over democratic backsliding, rule of law deficiencies, …

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Dirty Money in the Skyline: Albania’s Tower Boom and the Laundering of Criminal Wealth

From towers to “new pyramids”: how money from organized crime, international drug trafficking and entrenched corruption is reshaping Tirana while leaving behind empty buildings, distorted prices and a deeper threat to Albania’s future. Tirana Times, April 11, 2026 – The forest of cranes and high rise towers that now dominates …

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Week 5 of Albania’s top-flight football season concludes

Egnatia closed Week 5 of the Abissnet Superiore with a 2-1 win over Partizani at Egnatia Arena on Sunday evening. Loukili and Albanese scored for the Rrogozhina side. Earlier on Sunday, Tirana drew 2-2 with AF Elbasani at home. Vora and Skënderbeu also drew 1-1 on Saturday. Dinamo City recorded …

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Interior Minister Demo: Joint investigation teams have increased fivefold

Interior Minister Ervin Demo said Albania has increased the number of joint investigation teams fivefold over the past five years. He made the statement at the 42nd conference of the European Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates, an organization representing graduates of the FBI National Academy. Albania is hosting …

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More Than 51,000 Visitors Explore Vlora Heritage Sites, Porto Palermo Castle Most Popular

Cultural heritage monuments and archaeological parks in Vlora County are becoming an increasingly important part of tourist itineraries. Thousands of local and foreign visitors explored these sites during the tourism season. Orges Feimi, Director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Vlora, told ATA that seven monuments and archaeological …

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Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis visited Tirana

Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis made his historic visit to Tirana on September 21, 2014. It was his first visit to a European country outside Italy after he became head of the Catholic Church. He spent about 12 hours in Tirana, delivering a speech at the Presidency and …

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“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza Welcomes Domestic and Foreign Tourists

“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza stands as a notable example of agribusiness development. The project combines the efforts of a rural entrepreneur with government support through the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development (AZHBR). Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of the agribusiness on social media today. The site has become …

News
EU ambassador: Speed of integration laws must not weaken parliamentary oversight

EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said Albania must continue reforms and secure irreversible results on its path towards European Union membership. Speaking at the 22nd EU-Albania Parliamentary Stabilisation and Association Committee meeting, she stressed the importance of parliamentary oversight, transparency and public consultation in drafting and adopting …

News
“Europexplores”: Albania Takes the Crown as Europe’s Best Travel Destination

Albania is attracting growing attention in Europe. Travel platform “Europexplores” has highlighted the country as a top holiday destination. It has praised Albania’s coastline, historic cities and mountain landscapes. In an Instagram post, the platform used the headline “Albania takes the crown as Europe’s best travel destination.” Albanian media also …

News
Special Olympics Albania Wins Three Medals at Malta Open 2026

Albanian Special Olympics swimmers represented Albania for the first time at the “Malta Open 2026.” They delivered an impressive performance and returned home with one gold and two silver medals. Iris Hoxha won first place in the 100-meter freestyle. Gersi Troka finished second in the 50-meter butterfly. Joel Gërmënji took …

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Tirana International Film Festival opens its 24th edition

The 24th Tirana International Film Festival opens tonight and runs through September 27. The festival brings 230 feature-length and short films to the capital under this year’s theme, “Bring It Back! Humanography.” The programme focuses on human stories, emotions and individual experiences through cinema. The Albanian Telegraphic Agency remains an …

News
INSTAT: Online sales rise as Albanian businesses expand digital services

Albanian businesses made further progress in digitalisation in 2026, according to data published by INSTAT. The main trends include higher use of online sales, cloud services, enterprise resource planning systems and artificial intelligence. Online sales saw the strongest growth. INSTAT said 31.3% of businesses with 10 or more employees sold …

News

Week 5 of Albania’s top-flight football season concludes

Egnatia closed Week 5 of the Abissnet Superiore with a 2-1 win over Partizani at Egnatia Arena on Sunday evening. Loukili and Albanese scored for the Rrogozhina side. Earlier on Sunday, Tirana drew 2-2 with AF Elbasani at home. Vora and Skënderbeu also drew 1-1 on Saturday. Dinamo City recorded …

News

Interior Minister Demo: Joint investigation teams have increased fivefold

Interior Minister Ervin Demo said Albania has increased the number of joint investigation teams fivefold over the past five years. He made the statement at the 42nd conference of the European Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates, an organization representing graduates of the FBI National Academy. Albania is hosting …

News

More Than 51,000 Visitors Explore Vlora Heritage Sites, Porto Palermo Castle Most Popular

Cultural heritage monuments and archaeological parks in Vlora County are becoming an increasingly important part of tourist itineraries. Thousands of local and foreign visitors explored these sites during the tourism season. Orges Feimi, Director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Vlora, told ATA that seven monuments and archaeological …

News

Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis visited Tirana

Albania marks 12 years since Pope Francis made his historic visit to Tirana on September 21, 2014. It was his first visit to a European country outside Italy after he became head of the Catholic Church. He spent about 12 hours in Tirana, delivering a speech at the Presidency and …

News

“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza Welcomes Domestic and Foreign Tourists

“Kulla Hupi” in Bulqiza stands as a notable example of agribusiness development. The project combines the efforts of a rural entrepreneur with government support through the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development (AZHBR). Prime Minister Edi Rama shared images of the agribusiness on social media today. The site has become …

News

EU ambassador: Speed of integration laws must not weaken parliamentary oversight

EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said Albania must continue reforms and secure irreversible results on its path towards European Union membership. Speaking at the 22nd EU-Albania Parliamentary Stabilisation and Association Committee meeting, she stressed the importance of parliamentary oversight, transparency and public consultation in drafting and adopting …

News

“Europexplores”: Albania Takes the Crown as Europe’s Best Travel Destination

Albania is attracting growing attention in Europe. Travel platform “Europexplores” has highlighted the country as a top holiday destination. It has praised Albania’s coastline, historic cities and mountain landscapes. In an Instagram post, the platform used the headline “Albania takes the crown as Europe’s best travel destination.” Albanian media also …

News

Special Olympics Albania Wins Three Medals at Malta Open 2026

Albanian Special Olympics swimmers represented Albania for the first time at the “Malta Open 2026.” They delivered an impressive performance and returned home with one gold and two silver medals. Iris Hoxha won first place in the 100-meter freestyle. Gersi Troka finished second in the 50-meter butterfly. Joel Gërmënji took …

News

Tirana International Film Festival opens its 24th edition

The 24th Tirana International Film Festival opens tonight and runs through September 27. The festival brings 230 feature-length and short films to the capital under this year’s theme, “Bring It Back! Humanography.” The programme focuses on human stories, emotions and individual experiences through cinema. The Albanian Telegraphic Agency remains an …

News

INSTAT: Online sales rise as Albanian businesses expand digital services

Albanian businesses made further progress in digitalisation in 2026, according to data published by INSTAT. The main trends include higher use of online sales, cloud services, enterprise resource planning systems and artificial intelligence. Online sales saw the strongest growth. INSTAT said 31.3% of businesses with 10 or more employees sold …