Serbia asks European churches not to support Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO
Serbian Minister of Social Welfare, Zoran Djordjevic, during the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches which is being held in Novi Sad, asked the support of European churches to prevent Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO. Original post Here
Serbia sends armed troops to Kosovo border
Serbia’s regular army and Gendarmerie have been deployed on Sunday morning near the border crossings with Kosovo in Jarinje, in northern part of the country, media are reporting. Original post Here
Mitrovica Bridge to open soon, says Mitrovica mayor
Albanian mayor of Mitrovica South, Agim Bahtiri, says the main bridge of Iber will open soon. The EU has financed a project on revitalisation of the main Bridge of Iber, turned into symbol of ethnic division between Serbs who live in the north and Albanians living in the south. Original …
Kosovo welcomes election of the new Spanish Prime Minister
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, has congratulated the new Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, who was elected today by the Spanish parliament. Original post Here
Tech innovation finding its way in Kosovo
Kosovo has had a hard time competing in Europe with its pains of a recent war and a slowly developing economy. But one area where its youth has excelled is in adopting latest trends in technology and making a run at it. From small local startups to offshoots of western …
Fierce opponent of Kosovo’s Independence, Mariano Rajoy, ousted as Spain's prime minister
Mariano Rajoy, has been ousted as prime minister of Spain in a vote of no confidence called after several former members of his ruling party were convicted of corruption in a case that proved a scandal too far. Rajoy is known in Kosovo for his stance against Kosovo’s Independence. Original …
Haradinaj’s Government supports common regional market in Western Balkans
Kosovo Government headed by Ramush Haradinaj now is supporting the idea for a common regional market in the Western Balkan region. But Haradinaj’s predecessor, Isa Mustafa, was against such an idea promoted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and backed also by Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama. Mustafa considered the prject …
PDK ready for snap election
Chief of Parliamentary Group of the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo – PDK, Memli Krasniqi, says his party is ready for early election if other parties agree on snap election. Krasniqi says however that other parties are not interested in new election. Original post Here
Kosovo-Serbia normalisation talks start in June
Kosovo and Serbia are expected to start final chapter of the dialogue on normalisation of relations in June, says Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj. He also expects the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels will be concluded with a legally-binding agreement within 2018. Original post Here
Deadline for new Kosovo dialing code postponed until November
Kreshnik Gashi, director of the Regulatory Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications (ARKEP), said that due to lack of investments and other technical problems the full implementation of the new Kosovo dialling code +383 has been postponed until November 2018. Original post Here
By Genc Pollo The European Union’s stance on democracy in the Balkans is increasingly difficult to defend. The recent visit of EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to Albania is a glaring example of Brussels’ selective engagement, where stability appears to take precedence over genuine democratic governance. Despite mounting evidence of …
By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania Venesday March 12th—A special appeals court in Albania has upheld the pretrial detention of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, rejecting his request for a more lenient security measure. The ruling, reaffirmed on Monday by Judge Engert Pëllumbi, has sparked significant controversy, with Veliaj’s legal team and …
The Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church has elected Metropolitan Joan Pelushi of Korça as the new Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania. The 69-year-old cleric succeeds Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, marking a historic transition for the Church after more than three decades of leadership under the Greek- born …
By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times ) The Albanian government has nearly doubled the projected cost of its “Smart City” initiative, now expected to cost $118.5 million—up from the initially planned $60 million—raising concerns over transparency, lack of competition, and the protection of personal data. The government announced the …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Appeals court dismisses plea to release the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, who is in detention as charges of corruption and money laundering are investigated. Original post Here
Albania’s communist-era military bunkers – now a tourist attraction but also a reource for experimental artists – are dotted everywhere, from beaches to mountain tops. Original post Here
By Lutfi Dervishi Sweden remains a steadfast supporter of Albania’s European Union accession, citing the importance of enlargement in the wake of geopolitical shifts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Minister for European Union Affairs and Nordic Cooperation Jessica Rosencrantz, who vizited today (March 10th) Albania,highlighted Sweden’s commitment to a merit-based …
By Valentina Leskaj Ollga, the woman with deep black eyes, who appears so elegant in an old photograph wearing a hat, often comes to my mind whenever we discuss the Women’s Movement. Her portrait, as she spoke to me in that simple but beautiful house on Rruga e Kavajës, …
This article was produced as part of the Thematic Networks of PULSE, a European initiative that supports transnational journalistic collaborations The woodlands of Albania are a verdant expanse that once covered nearly half of the country’s rugged and mountainous terrain. In these past 25 years, however, they have been …