Austrian Chancellor visits Kosovo
Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, on Tuesday is paying an official visit to Kosovo. Original post Here
Kosovo dialling code implementation postponed
The full implementation of Kosovo’s telephone code, +383, was due to begin on 31 October, but the deadline was extended until 31 October following requests by mobile and fixed telephony operators Vala and Ipko. Again the deadline has not been met with the mobile operators asking for extension of the …
German Army donates equipment to Kosovo
Germany handed over around 2 million Euro worth of equipment and technology of Bundeswher to Kosovo. The news has been confirmed by Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, who said that establishment of the Innovation Park in Prizren, represents a strong bond of friendship between Kosovo and Germany. Original post Here
EU to be conditioned if visas are not lifted, says Kosovo’s DPM Hoxhaj
Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, says Kosovo should consider its approach towards the European Union if there is no visa liberalization by the end of the year. Original post Here
German Chancellor worries about border changes proposed by Kosovo President
German Chancellor Angela Merkel answering a letter to Isa Mustafa, leader of the opposition party, LDK, expressed her concern about talks on border changes between Kosovo and Serbia. Original post Here
EU’s Apostolova urges Kosovo Parliament not to allow import of old cars
Head of EU Office in Kosovo, Ambassador Nataliya Apostolova, reiterated on Friday her call for the Assembly not to increase the maximal age of imported cars to Kosovo. Original post Here
No withdrawal of recognition from Dominica, says Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry
Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the Commonwealth of Dominica, an Island country in the West Indies, has not withdrawn recognition of Kosovo. Original post Here
German convicted drug dealer arrested in Kosovo
German citizen, Qadir Ali Kan, a convicted drug dealer, who was on the red notice of Interpol, has been arrested on Friday in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina. The German citizen was convicted to twenty years imprisonment found guilty of drug trafficking, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
Creation of Kosovo Army irreversible, says Speaker Veseli
Kosovo Parliament Speaker, Kadri Veseli, in an interview with the Zagreb-based daily Vecernje List said that future Army of Kosovo will have five thousand active soldiers and three thousand reserves and will be established in close cooperation with friends and NATO. Original post Here
Confidential Letter Reveals Secret Talks On Partition Of Kosovo
Former EU facilitator of Kosovo-Serbia technical dialogue in 2011-12, Robert Cooper, who was one of the speakers at the Belgrade Security Forum (BSF) held on 17-18 October, in his capacity as ECFR Council Member, wrote a “private and confidential” letter based on his study trip to Serbia’s capital. At the …
Tirana Times, January 15, 2026 – Albania’s banking sector enters 2026 with growing caution, as banks operating in the country anticipate an increase in non performing loans despite strong demand for credit. According to the latest CESEE Banking Lending Survey conducted by the European Investment Bank for the second half …
After the US paused visa processing for 75 countries, including Albania, the opposition in Tirana has accused the government of getting the country put on Trump’s “blacklist”. Original post Here
Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …
Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …
In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …
Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …
BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here