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PM Rama: Ukraine is rebuilding Europe’s courage at reconstruction conference

TIRANA, June 27 – Prime Minister Edi Rama took part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, which brings together heads of state and government, international financial institutions, business representatives and civil society organisations from around the world. The conference aims to strengthen international support for Ukraine and mobilise …

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Bënja Spa Rehabilitation Continues, Boosting Tourism Potential

Work on the rehabilitation of the Bënja thermal baths continues steadily. The project aims to improve tourist infrastructure, organize visitor services, and protect the area’s unique natural values. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment clarified that the destination remains under development. Therefore, recently published images show temporary construction stages rather than …

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Territorial Reform Aims to Strengthen Municipalities and Balance Development

The Special Commission on Administrative-Territorial Reform held its eleventh public hearing in Korça. The meeting gathered local stakeholders to discuss proposals for Albania’s new territorial reform. Speaking at the hearing, Arbjan Mazniku said that ten years after the 2014 reform, it is time to evaluate its results and identify improvements. …

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Rama Meets Ukrainian Prime Minister Svyrydenko in Poland

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama met Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko in Gdańsk, Poland, on Wednesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026. Albania’s Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, also attended the talks. During the meeting, the leaders discussed ways to strengthen …

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Cyprus EU Presidency Backs Albania’s EU Path, Hoxha Says in Nicosia Visit

Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha visited Nicosia, Cyprus, where he held a series of high-level meetings focused on EU integration and bilateral cooperation. First, Hoxha met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, reaffirming both countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation and advancing Albania’s European agenda. In addition, he …

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Peleshi Meets Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, Reaffirms Strong Albania–Holy See Relations

Niko Peleshi met Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican. The meeting reaffirmed strong relations between Albania and the Holy See. Both sides emphasized shared values and cooperation. They highlighted peace, dialogue, and mutual respect. Peleshi presented a symbolic gift from Albania. The gesture expressed friendship and appreciation toward the Holy …

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Begaj: Scientific Research Is Key for Albania’s European Path

Bajram Begaj attended an international scientific conference in Tirana focused on the importance of toponymy in shaping Albanian cultural identity. The event was organized by the Institute of Anthropology under the Academy of Sciences. Researchers and academics discussed how place names reflect language, history, and identity. Begaj said that scientific …

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A stronger Union for the Mediterranean for a stronger Mediterranean

By H.E. Ambassador Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean. Tirana Times, June 25, 2026 – They say no man ever steps in the same river twice. The universe is in a constant state of flux: such is my sentiment as I reflect on my mandate at the Union for the …

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Austria Leads FDI, but Real Estate Tells the Bigger Story

Bank of Albania data show Austria topping first-quarter foreign investment flows, while property and construction continue to shape Albania’s FDI model. Tirana Times June 25, 2026 – The figures place Austria ahead of some of Albania’s traditionally dominant investment partners, including Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. Yet the data also …

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Albanian Football Federation sets dates for 2026-2027 domestic season

TIRANA, June 25 – The Executive Committee of the Albanian Football Federation has approved the starting dates for all national competitions in the 2026-2027 football season. The “Abissnet Superiore” championship will begin on August 22, 2026 and end on May 9, 2027. Meanwhile, the “First Category” championship will start on …

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Rama joins Paris summit on Ukraine at Macron’s invitation

Prime Minister Edi Rama joined the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris on Sunday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit brought together heads of state and government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to coordinate international support for Ukraine. During the …

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EU Ambassador Gonzato encourages young people to drive Albania’s EU integration

EU Ambassador to Albania Silvio Gonzato called on young Albanians to defend their rights and take an active role in shaping their future. During the weekend, Gonzato met young participants at RinCamp, organized by the National Youth Agency. During the discussion, he stressed that young people are not only beneficiaries …

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Albania condemns Iran’s attacks on Gulf Arab states, says Hoxha

Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha strongly condemned Iran’s recent attacks on Gulf Arab states, calling them a violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. In a statement on X, Hoxha said the attacks further escalate tensions, undermine regional stability and pose a serious threat to international …

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Albania honors US military officer for strengthening defense cooperation

Defense Minister Ermal Nufi awarded the “Golden Medal of Military Service” to US Army Lieutenant Colonel Joshua A. Magnusson after he completed his mandate as head of the US Military Group in Albania. The medal recognized Magnusson’s contribution to strengthening the partnership between the United States and the Albanian Armed …

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Bank of Albania highlights record-low non-performing loans in meeting with EBRD

Governor of the Bank of Albania Gent Sejko met with a delegation from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), led by its new Resident Representative in Albania, Hannes Takacs. During the meeting, Sejko presented the latest economic and financial developments in Albania and said the economy is expected …

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Rama: “Open Balkan” was controversial because of its political backers, not its objectives

Prime Minister Edi Rama said the “Open Balkan” initiative was considered “a terrible idea” only because he and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić backed it. “It was a terrible idea for one reason only: Vučić and I were behind it. If we removed our names and replaced them with five others, …

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Berisha Attends IDC-CDI General Assembly in Brussels as Organization’s Vice President

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-6″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-6″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-14″ data-turn=”assistant”> Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha is attending the General Assembly of the Centrist Democrat International (IDC-CDI) in Brussels, where he serves as one of the organization’s Vice Presidents. The assembly has brought together political leaders, former presidents, Members of the European …

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Penal Amnesty: Around 60 Inmates to Be Released from Drenova Prison

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-7″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-7″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-16″ data-turn=”assistant”> Around 60 inmates at Drenova Prison are expected to be released under Albania’s new penal amnesty law, which is scheduled to be implemented on July 15. Under the amnesty, eligible male prisoners will receive a one-year sentence reduction, while eligible female …

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Ombudsman Raises Alarm Over Conditions at Shënkoll Prison: “It Should Be a High-Security Hospital, Not a Prison with Two Psychiatrists”

Albania’s Ombudsman is carrying out an unannounced inspection on Monday and Tuesday at the Shënkoll Prison Institution as part of its mandate as the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture. According to the Ombudsman, the preliminary findings are deeply concerning. The inspection team identified severe overcrowding in accommodation facilities and a …

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Parliament joins 51st Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie

TIRANA, July 13 – Albania’s permanent parliamentary delegation took part in the 51st Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, held in Yaounde, Cameroon. Hatixhe Konomi led the delegation, alongside Ilirian Pendavinji and Luçiano Boçi. More than 300 lawmakers from 42 national, subnational and inter-parliamentary sections attended the session. …

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Rama joins Paris summit on Ukraine at Macron’s invitation

Prime Minister Edi Rama joined the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris on Sunday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit brought together heads of state and government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to coordinate international support for Ukraine. During the …

News

EU Ambassador Gonzato encourages young people to drive Albania’s EU integration

EU Ambassador to Albania Silvio Gonzato called on young Albanians to defend their rights and take an active role in shaping their future. During the weekend, Gonzato met young participants at RinCamp, organized by the National Youth Agency. During the discussion, he stressed that young people are not only beneficiaries …

News

Albania condemns Iran’s attacks on Gulf Arab states, says Hoxha

Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha strongly condemned Iran’s recent attacks on Gulf Arab states, calling them a violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. In a statement on X, Hoxha said the attacks further escalate tensions, undermine regional stability and pose a serious threat to international …

News

Albania honors US military officer for strengthening defense cooperation

Defense Minister Ermal Nufi awarded the “Golden Medal of Military Service” to US Army Lieutenant Colonel Joshua A. Magnusson after he completed his mandate as head of the US Military Group in Albania. The medal recognized Magnusson’s contribution to strengthening the partnership between the United States and the Albanian Armed …

News

Bank of Albania highlights record-low non-performing loans in meeting with EBRD

Governor of the Bank of Albania Gent Sejko met with a delegation from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), led by its new Resident Representative in Albania, Hannes Takacs. During the meeting, Sejko presented the latest economic and financial developments in Albania and said the economy is expected …

News

Rama: “Open Balkan” was controversial because of its political backers, not its objectives

Prime Minister Edi Rama said the “Open Balkan” initiative was considered “a terrible idea” only because he and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić backed it. “It was a terrible idea for one reason only: Vučić and I were behind it. If we removed our names and replaced them with five others, …

News

Berisha Attends IDC-CDI General Assembly in Brussels as Organization’s Vice President

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-6″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-6″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-14″ data-turn=”assistant”> Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha is attending the General Assembly of the Centrist Democrat International (IDC-CDI) in Brussels, where he serves as one of the organization’s Vice Presidents. The assembly has brought together political leaders, former presidents, Members of the European …

News

Penal Amnesty: Around 60 Inmates to Be Released from Drenova Prison

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-7″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:5f2c0e64-bc31-47c7-92dd-f2c184ecbc38-7″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-16″ data-turn=”assistant”> Around 60 inmates at Drenova Prison are expected to be released under Albania’s new penal amnesty law, which is scheduled to be implemented on July 15. Under the amnesty, eligible male prisoners will receive a one-year sentence reduction, while eligible female …

News

Ombudsman Raises Alarm Over Conditions at Shënkoll Prison: “It Should Be a High-Security Hospital, Not a Prison with Two Psychiatrists”

Albania’s Ombudsman is carrying out an unannounced inspection on Monday and Tuesday at the Shënkoll Prison Institution as part of its mandate as the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture. According to the Ombudsman, the preliminary findings are deeply concerning. The inspection team identified severe overcrowding in accommodation facilities and a …

News

Parliament joins 51st Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie

TIRANA, July 13 – Albania’s permanent parliamentary delegation took part in the 51st Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, held in Yaounde, Cameroon. Hatixhe Konomi led the delegation, alongside Ilirian Pendavinji and Luçiano Boçi. More than 300 lawmakers from 42 national, subnational and inter-parliamentary sections attended the session. …