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Thaci: Meeting with Vucic very difficult

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, met on Sunday in Brussels for EU-facilitated talks by High representative Federica Mogherini, aimed at normalizing bilateral relations. Original post Here

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Mogherini hosted a meeting with Presidents of Kosovo and of Serbia

Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, hosted today in Brussels a High Level Meeting of the EU facilitated Dialogue with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić and the President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. Original post Here

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Mogherini hosted a meeting with Presidents of Kosovo and of Serbia

Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, hosted today in Brussels a High Level Meeting of the EU facilitated Dialogue with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić and the President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. Original post Here

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US rebuts Serbia’s fraudulent claims: Countries are not derecognising Kosovo

Eliot Engel, US Congressman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, says Serbia’s fraudulent claims that countries are turning their backs on Kosovo are false. Original post Here

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US rebuts Serbia’s fraudulent claims: Countries are not derecognising Kosovo

Eliot Engel, US Congressman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, says Serbia’s fraudulent claims that countries are turning their backs on Kosovo are false. Original post Here

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EU-facilitated Dialogue: Mogherini meets Thaci and Vucic in Brussels

The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini meets with Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia to discuss comprehensive normalisation of relations. Original post Here

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EU-facilitated Dialogue: Mogherini meets Thaci and Vucic in Brussels

The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini meets with Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia to discuss comprehensive normalisation of relations. Original post Here

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Mogherini’s Office: Thaci-Vucic to continue work on normalisation phase of dialogue

The Office of the High Representative of the European Union and Vice-President of the Commission, says that presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia, who are set to meet on Sunday in Brussels under Mogherini’s facilitation, are expected to continue their work on comprehensive normalisation phase of …

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Mogherini’s Office: Thaci-Vucic to continue work on normalisation phase of dialogue

The Office of the High Representative of the European Union and Vice-President of the Commission, says that presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia, who are set to meet on Sunday in Brussels under Mogherini’s facilitation, are expected to continue their work on comprehensive normalisation phase of …

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Fajon hopes the EC will soon deliver its assessment on visas for Kosovo

The European Commission is expected that by the end of this month to evaluate whether Kosovo has fulfilled all the benchmarks on visa liberalisation. Kosovo state leaders insist that citizens will move without visas in the EU’s Schengen area within 2018. However they are asked not to make promises on …

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Arrests at Bankers Petroleum Spark Questions Over Albania’s Oil Industry and Accountability

By Tirana Times Staff FIER/TIRANA, July 2, 2025 — In a stunning development that has shaken Albania’s oil sector, police arrested the current CEO of Bankers Petroleum, Chinese national Hongping Xiao, and the company’s former director, Leonidha Çobo, during a surprise raid on the company’s headquarters in Fier on Tuesday. …

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Massive Fraud Uncovered: Bankers Petroleum Under Fire for Decades of Tax Evasion and Billions in Untaxed Oil Revenues

CEO Arrested, €4 Billion in Oil Sales Revealed, and Zero Profit Tax Paid to the Albanian State FIER/TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) — Albania’s largest oil producer, Bankers Petroleum, is at the center of a sweeping scandal that prosecutors say involves one of the most egregious cases of tax fraud and …

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Rama Rebukes Farage: Albanian PM Slams “One-in-50” Prison Claim as Post-Brexit Scapegoating

 While Turning UK Migration Debate into Personal Stagecraft TIRANA TIMES — July 2, 2025 — A fiery public exchange between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and British right-wing populist Nigel Farage has brought the issue of Albanian migration into the political spotlight once again — but this time with a …

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Skopje Summit Revives EU Enlargement Hopes — But Ignores the Democratic Erosion in the Balkans

The participants of the Growth Plan Summit, 1 July 2025, Skopje; Photo: European Commission By Tirana Times SKOPJE, July 2, 2025 — The European Union’s renewed enthusiasm for enlargement took center stage at this week’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, where EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined the leaders …

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Albania’s ‘Lads of London’ Create Bigger Problems for Their Home Country

A social media row between British right-winger Nigel Farage and Albania’s premier Edi Rama over the level of crime committed by Albanians in the UK misses the main point. Original post Here

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The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is filled with well-documented episodes of collective madness. Often, these episodes have culminated in crises that brought even the greatest empires to their knees—such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble. In other cases, they have devastated the lives …

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Balkan Investigative Reporting Highlights: 20 Stories from 20 Years

As BIRN marks its 20th anniversary, here’s a diverse selection of investigations picked from two decades of in-depth reporting on one of Europe’s most complex and challenging regions. Original post Here

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Rama Forces UK’s Farage Onto Backfoot Over Albanian Criminals

British far-right leader fails to land a punch with Albania’s prime minister in fiery row on social media over the number of Albanians held in UK jails. Original post Here

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NATO’s Defence Spending Plan Poses Challenge for Balkan States

The Western military alliance’s new national spending benchmark on defence and security may cause problems for smaller and poorer NATO member states in the Balkans who cannot afford 5 per cent of GDP. Original post Here

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Rule of Law or Rule by Law? Albania’s EU Path Faces a Crisis of Credibility

Jerina Zaloshnja As Albania accelerates the formal process of European Union accession—opening negotiation chapters at a pace that seems to outstrip democratic reforms—it faces an urgent and unavoidable truth: a country cannot genuinely integrate into the EU without first building a functioning rule-of-law society. No volume of technical chapters opened …

News

Arrests at Bankers Petroleum Spark Questions Over Albania’s Oil Industry and Accountability

By Tirana Times Staff FIER/TIRANA, July 2, 2025 — In a stunning development that has shaken Albania’s oil sector, police arrested the current CEO of Bankers Petroleum, Chinese national Hongping Xiao, and the company’s former director, Leonidha Çobo, during a surprise raid on the company’s headquarters in Fier on Tuesday. …

News

Massive Fraud Uncovered: Bankers Petroleum Under Fire for Decades of Tax Evasion and Billions in Untaxed Oil Revenues

CEO Arrested, €4 Billion in Oil Sales Revealed, and Zero Profit Tax Paid to the Albanian State FIER/TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) — Albania’s largest oil producer, Bankers Petroleum, is at the center of a sweeping scandal that prosecutors say involves one of the most egregious cases of tax fraud and …

News

Rama Rebukes Farage: Albanian PM Slams “One-in-50” Prison Claim as Post-Brexit Scapegoating

 While Turning UK Migration Debate into Personal Stagecraft TIRANA TIMES — July 2, 2025 — A fiery public exchange between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and British right-wing populist Nigel Farage has brought the issue of Albanian migration into the political spotlight once again — but this time with a …

News

Skopje Summit Revives EU Enlargement Hopes — But Ignores the Democratic Erosion in the Balkans

The participants of the Growth Plan Summit, 1 July 2025, Skopje; Photo: European Commission By Tirana Times SKOPJE, July 2, 2025 — The European Union’s renewed enthusiasm for enlargement took center stage at this week’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, where EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined the leaders …

News

Albania’s ‘Lads of London’ Create Bigger Problems for Their Home Country

A social media row between British right-winger Nigel Farage and Albania’s premier Edi Rama over the level of crime committed by Albanians in the UK misses the main point. Original post Here

News

The Silent Collapse of the Tower Euphoria

By Klodian Tomorri The history of the global economy is filled with well-documented episodes of collective madness. Often, these episodes have culminated in crises that brought even the greatest empires to their knees—such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble. In other cases, they have devastated the lives …

News

Balkan Investigative Reporting Highlights: 20 Stories from 20 Years

As BIRN marks its 20th anniversary, here’s a diverse selection of investigations picked from two decades of in-depth reporting on one of Europe’s most complex and challenging regions. Original post Here

News

Rama Forces UK’s Farage Onto Backfoot Over Albanian Criminals

British far-right leader fails to land a punch with Albania’s prime minister in fiery row on social media over the number of Albanians held in UK jails. Original post Here

News

NATO’s Defence Spending Plan Poses Challenge for Balkan States

The Western military alliance’s new national spending benchmark on defence and security may cause problems for smaller and poorer NATO member states in the Balkans who cannot afford 5 per cent of GDP. Original post Here

News

Rule of Law or Rule by Law? Albania’s EU Path Faces a Crisis of Credibility

Jerina Zaloshnja As Albania accelerates the formal process of European Union accession—opening negotiation chapters at a pace that seems to outstrip democratic reforms—it faces an urgent and unavoidable truth: a country cannot genuinely integrate into the EU without first building a functioning rule-of-law society. No volume of technical chapters opened …