Himara Opens 2026 Tourist Season with Three Days of Festivities
Himara has officially opened its 2026 summer tourist season with a three-day program of cultural, sports, and entertainment events. The municipality organized the activities on May 1, 2, and 3 across key coastal areas of the city. The program included concerts, fairs, children’s events, outdoor cinema, light festivals, and water …
Four Albanian heritage elements move toward UNESCO nomination
TIRANA, May 6 – The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Albanian-American Development Foundation signed a cooperation agreement. The agreement advances the preparation of a second package of nomination files for UNESCO. The process targets the Intangible Cultural Heritage List and the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices of …
Education services agreement with Albanian-American Development Foundation, PM Rama: Cambridge excellence for services in education
TIRANA, May 6 – The Albanian-American Development Foundation and the Ministry of Education signed an agreement in Tirana. The agreement focuses on the modernization of assessment systems in the new National Agency for Education Services. It aims to strengthen digital transformation in education and reinforce merit-based principles in the system. …
Albania and New Jersey National Guard mark 25 years of partnership, Nufi highlights cooperation with United States
TIRANA, May 6 – The Albanian Armed Forces and the New Jersey National Guard marked 25 years of partnership under the State Partnership Program. The anniversary highlighted long-term cooperation in defence and security. A United States delegation visited Albania for the occasion. Brigadier General Yvonne Mays led the delegation as …
Tax Relief on Inheritance and Gifts Cuts Budget Revenue in 2025
New tax relief measures reduced state revenue from inheritance and property gifts in 2025. First, authorities expanded tax exemptions. As a result, revenue dropped sharply. Data from the General Directorate of Taxes show collections at 16.2 million lekë in 2025. This marks a fall from 35.8 million lekë in 2024. …
Rinas Rail Station Project Opens, €91.6 Million Budget Allocated
Hekurudha Shqiptare has opened a procurement procedure for the detailed design and construction of the Rinas airport railway station. The project is part of the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas rail line. The allocated budget for this phase stands at around 91.6 million lekë. The authority says the new station is essential to improve …
Nufi: Further Consolidation of Cyber Defence Capabilities
Defence Minister Ermal Nufi visited the Cyber Operations Centre, part of the Cyber and Communications Command at the Ministry of Defence. He assessed progress in building cyber defence capabilities. He said the country has made significant advances in protecting defence ministry and armed forces infrastructure. He praised the results achieved …
Tax Administration Launches 8-Point Plan to Formalize Tourism Sector
The Tax Administration has approved a sectoral plan for tourism in 2026 aimed at reducing informality and increasing tax compliance. The plan introduces eight key measures to strengthen control, improve reporting, and increase revenue collection in the tourism sector. First, authorities will increase declared turnover compared to 2025. They will …
Rama: Technology Opens Global Market Opportunities for Youth
Prime Minister Edi Rama said technology is creating new opportunities for young people to access the global job market. He spoke during a discussion with young people in Gjirokastër. He focused on innovation, employment, and entrepreneurship. First, he said the government aims to increase funding for startup programs. At the …
Kosova marks George Kastrioti’s birth anniversary with cultural events
TIRANA, May 6 – Prishtina hosts a full day of commemorative, cultural, and academic events in honour of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albanians. The programme brings together citizens, scholars, and delegations from Albanian territories and the Arbëresh diaspora from Italy. The organisation “Shqiptaria” [Albanian-ness] coordinates the activities. …
Albanian skier Lara Colturi is preparing for her next challenge as the new Ski World Cup season gets underway in Sölden, Austria. Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Blendi Gonxhja shared footage of Colturi during training and wished her success in the upcoming competition. “Lara Colturi is ready for her next …
Albanian Defence Minister Ermal Nufi met with Major General Roberto Vergori, the new commander of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR), in Tirana on October 20. They discussed KFOR’s role in ensuring security and stability in Kosovo and maintaining peace across the region. During the meeting, Nufi highlighted the importance of KFOR …
Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu has reaffirmed the government’s readiness to hold talks with students and citizens, while ruling out dialogue with those who damage public and private property. In an interview with Klan News on October 20, Koçiu condemned the violence during recent protests in Tirana. She said …
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has invited protesting students and university lecturers to talks, saying he and his government are ready to meet anyone willing to engage in dialogue. In a video posted on social media on October 20, Rama said he remained available for discussions. To underline his offer, …
Albania will be represented by 12-year-old singer Eslin Kurti at the 2026 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in Ta’ Qali, Malta, on October 24. Kurti will perform “Kërce me mua” (“Dance with Me”), a song that aims to bring energy, rhythm and a message of unity through …
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has responded to protests in Albania, Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal. Türk condemned all acts of violence during the demonstrations and called on all parties involved to immediately ease tensions and prevent further escalation. According to the senior UN official, the best …
Albanian and Turkish naval forces held a joint exercise in the Bay of Vlora and the naval base in it. The activity took place under NATO’s Neptune Strike 26-4 programme. The exercise involved Turkish warships TCG Anadolu and TCG Gaziantep, aircraft and the Albanian Boarding Team. According to the Ministry …
Kosova remains at Tier 2 in the US State Department’s 2025 report on human trafficking. The report notes more funding for victim assistance and more convictions, but highlights gaps in law enforcement, identifying children forced to beg and providing long-term support. Police investigated four trafficking cases in 2025, down from …
Ahmet Prençi, commissioner of the Ombudsman’s National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, presented preliminary findings from monitoring police stations, the Security Block and the University Trauma Hospital on October 19. He said the investigation continued. Police escorted 50 people to stations, including 18 minors. The Security Block held 109 …
Demand for loans from businesses and individuals increased in the third quarter of 2026. Banks expect this trend to continue in the final quarter, according to the Bank of Albania’s lending survey. Businesses increased borrowing across all size categories for investment and liquidity needs. Higher investment needs, inventory financing and …