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 …
Attack on Albanian house in northern Kosovo
A molotov cocktail was thrown last night at the house of an Albanian living in northern part of Kosovo dominated by Serbs. The motives of the attack remain unknown, whereas the police reported that in addition to material damages no injuries have been reported in this incident. Original post Here
Expecting the unexpected seems to be the name of the game in both global politics and the domestic politics of the region, as 2026 kicks off with a few unexpected twists. Original post Here
Critics accused Edi Rama of overlooking Palestinian suffering during his recent visit to Israel. But both he and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, see advantages in a closer relationship. Original post Here
Tirana Times, January 29, 2026 – This Tuesday, the Elbasan County Council has formally honored the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Albania, Faisal Ghazi Al-Hafthi, in recognition of his humanitarian engagement and his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations at the local level. The ceremony, held in Elbasan, …
Albania has opened every negotiation ‘cluster’ as it races along the road to EU accession, but who should get the credit – Edi Rama’s government? Anti-graft prosecutors? Or even Vladimir Putin? Original post Here
Energy suppliers in southeastern Europe are heavily politicized and sometimes nefarious. The US can aid democratic stability through energy engagement. By David J. Kostelancik When Congress passed the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), it sent a clear signal: energy security in Southeastern …
New changes to the Albanian criminal code that only partially abolish defamation as an offence have been criticised by media freedom organisations, citing concerns over freedom of speech. 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
Tirana Times, January 26, 2026 – Albania’s attempted entry into the Peace Board has become a revealing episode, not because of the significance of the initiative itself, but because of the way Albania’s leadership chose to stage and communicate it domestically. The Peace Board represents a new and ambitious international …
Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania has joined the Peace Board, a newly established international mechanism initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at overseeing peace agreements and post-conflict stabilization efforts, with an initial focus on the Gaza Strip. The Peace Board was formally launched during the World Economic …
The crisis deepens as the government shields Deputy PM Balluku and a criminal network emerges in AKSHI Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania’s main opposition party returned to the streets on Saturday with a second national protest against Prime Minister Edi Rama, challenging the legitimacy of his fourth term …