Kosovo President’s brother involved in fight
Gani Thaci, the brother of Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci, has on Wednesday physically assaulted the director of the Kosovo Insurance Bureau (KIB), Blerim Pushkolli, as well as the director of the insurance company “Illyria”, Slovenian citizen Gianni Sokolic. Original post Here
Montenegro officially joins NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo
Montenegro has on Tuesday joined the KFOR mission in Kosovo as the 29th troop contributing nation, which is the longest peacekeeping mission in NATO history. Original post Here
Austrian President lobbying for Kosovo to get visa liberalisation by the end of year
Austrian President, Alexander Van der Bellen, was hosted on Tuesday by his Albanian Counterpart, Ilir Meta, Gazeta Express reports. During the meeting the two presidents discussed visa liberalisation for Kosovo. The Austrian President said that visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens should happen as soon as possible. Original post Here
State Dept official visits Kosovo amidst debate on border adjustment with Serbia
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj hosted in separate meetings the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Matthew Palmer. Haradinaj briefed the US State Department official on transition of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into army, whereas Thaci said after the meeting that he discussed with Palmer …
Army to be deployed throughout Kosovo territory, KSF Commander says
Future Army of Kosovo will be deployed throughout the territory of Kosovo, says Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Commander, General Lieutenant, Rrahman Rama. He said approval of laws in Parliament on Thursday on transition of the KSF into army is one of the most important milestones for the state of Kosovo. …
US Embassy comments Kosovo's initiative to transform Security Force into Army
US Embassy to Kosovo continues to support disciplined and transparent transition of the KSF into a professional, multi-ethnic, NATO interoperable army with limited mandate of territorial self-defence. This was confirmed to Gazeta Express by the US Embassy in Pristina commenting the laws that the Kosovo Parliament passed on Thursday, enabling …
Turkey calls for closure of Gulen schools in Kosovo
Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Çavusoglu who is visiting Kosovo, asked the Government of Kosovo to close all schools of the “FETO” organisation, sponsored by religious leader Fetulah Gulen, an organisation which as Çavusoglu said is a terrorist organisation responsible for killing of over 200 people during a failed coup in …
Kosovo PM vows 'uncompromising fight' against terrorism
Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, hosted Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, the US State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Haradinaj in a Facebook post said that joint with Sales they discussed current political developments in Kosovo. Original post Here
UN Secretary General looking into UNMIK exit strategy initiative proposed by the US
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres is looking into the US initiative on an exit strategy for UNMIK, Belgrade based news agency Beta reported citing its sources within the UN headquarters on Friday. Original post Here
Kosovo in continuous contact with NATO over army, PM Haradinaj says
Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said Kosovo is in continuous contact with NATO and expressed his optimism that the country will join NATO. He made the comments a day after the Parliament of Kosovo passed in principle a package of laws on transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into …
As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities of what 2026 holds in store. Original post Here
Critics warn of deepening inequality, impunity and potential money-laundering exposure. Tirana Times, January 16,2025 – Albania’s newly adopted “fiscal peace” package framed by the government as a reset of relations between businesses and the tax authorities, has sparked sharp criticism from economists, business associations, the opposition and international observers. Although …
Opinion articles under the pseudonym ‘Endri Kajsiu’ have for years promoted pro-government narratives in the Albanian media – leading some to wonder if the author could even be the prime minister. Original post Here
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