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Russian Ambassador to Belgrade: We support partition of Kosovo if Serbia thinks it is a solution

We respect the position of Serbia and we will support any solution that Serbia thinks is the best for the state, said the Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Chepurin. He also said that Russia would support Kosovo’s partition if Serbia thinks it is the best solution for it. Original post …

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Kosovo Parliament votes to scrap Kosovo-Albania mobile roaming charges

Kosovo Parliament has voted on Wednesday a Resolution for scrapping roaming charges with Albania. Original post Here

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Kosovo artist photos banned at Serbia’s border

A picture of Kosovo artist, Eliza Hoxha, depicting a Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) engraving and a catalogue of her exhibition due to open in Belgrade as part of the festival “Miredita, Dobar Dan,” have been banned by the Serbian Police at the border point of Merdare. Original post Here

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UN Mission in Kosovo Unnecessary, says DPM Hoxhaj

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, in a Tweet on Tuesday asked the UN Mission in Kosovo – UNMIK to close. “UNMIK is UNNecessary,” said Hoxhaj. Original post Here

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Kosovo Government approves the statute of shareholding company Trepca

Kosovo Government has approved during Tuesday’s meeting the statute of the shareholding company ‘Trepca’ after almost two years since this huge mining complex was put under government control in a bid to and save it from bankruptcy. Original post Here

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Kosovo PM Haradinaj says a ‘great news’ on visas expected within ten days

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said the EU representatives are to announce ‘great news’ on visas within ten days, implying that the European Commission (EC) is expected to give positive recommendation for Kosovo citizens to travel without visas in the EU Schengen area. In April an EC fact-gathering mission visited …

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Kosovo Foreign Ministry publishes Verbal Note reconfirming recognition of Guinea Bissau

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo has reacted after recent reports of media in Belgrade who reported that Guinea Bissau has withdrawn recognition of Kosovo. Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry announced that they have received Verbal Note from the Guinea Bissau Embassy in Brussels, dated 24 January 2018, reconfirming recognition of …

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Thaci after meeting Kurz: Austria supports Kosovo’s membership in Interpol, visas, dialogue with Serbia

Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci met on Tuesday Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz. After the meeting Thaci said that Austria supports Kosovo’s membership into Interpol, visa free regime and the dialogue with Serbia. Original post Here

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Vetevendosje blames Kosovo leaders for degrading the work of Parliament

Member of Parliament from the opposition party of Vetevendosje, Albulena Haxhiu, said that it is unacceptable the degradation of the Parliament of Kosovo by Speaker Kadri Veseli and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. Haxhiu in a Facebook post said that Government lost its majority in Parliament and should be dismissed. Original …

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Ali Ahmeti visits Kosovo meets Haradinaj, Thaci

Head of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) a political party gathering Albanians in Macedonia which is part of the ruling coalition in Macedonia, is visiting Kosovo today when he met the Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and President Hashim Thaci. Original post Here

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EU’s Democratic Blind Spot in the Balkans

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 …

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Albanian Court Upholds Detention of Tirana Mayor Amid Corruption Investigation

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 …

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Albanian Orthodox Church Elects New Archbishop Following Unanimous Vote

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 …

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Albanian Government Doubles Cost of ‘Smart City’ Project Without Transparency

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 …

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Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 17, 2025

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

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Albania Appeal Court Orders Tirana Mayor to Stay in Custody

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

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Communist-Era Bunkers Leave Lasting Mark on Albania’s Landscape

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

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Sweden Reaffirms Strong Support for Albania’s EU Accession Amid Geopolitical Shifts

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 …

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Ollga Plumbi – The Woman from the Future

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, …

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Behind Albania’s Forest Crisis: Governance, Economy, and EU Accession

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 …

News

EU’s Democratic Blind Spot in the Balkans

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 …

News

Albanian Court Upholds Detention of Tirana Mayor Amid Corruption Investigation

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 …

News

Albanian Orthodox Church Elects New Archbishop Following Unanimous Vote

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 …

News

Albanian Government Doubles Cost of ‘Smart City’ Project Without Transparency

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 …

News

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 17, 2025

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here

News

Albania Appeal Court Orders Tirana Mayor to Stay in Custody

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

News

Communist-Era Bunkers Leave Lasting Mark on Albania’s Landscape

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

News

Sweden Reaffirms Strong Support for Albania’s EU Accession Amid Geopolitical Shifts

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 …

News

Ollga Plumbi – The Woman from the Future

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, …

News

Behind Albania’s Forest Crisis: Governance, Economy, and EU Accession

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 …