Hoxhaj to meet US Secretary of Defence, James Mattis
US Defence Secretary, James N. Mattis, will visit Zagreb on Friday in his first visit to the Balkan region. Mattis will meet with defence ministers of the US-Adriatic Charter to reinforce U.S. support to southeast Europe. Original post Here
Kosovo PM Haradinaj welcomes in his office controversial Serb politician, Milan Radojicic
Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, received on Thursday in his office Srpska List head Goran Rakic and his deputy Milan Radoicic. This is the first time that Radojicic, a controversial figure and considered as “the boss of the underground in the northern Kosovo,” came officially to Kosovo Prime Minister’s office. …
Haradinaj’s party conditions dialogue with the visa liberalisation
Members of Parliament of the ruling Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) have submitted Thursday a draft-resolution asking the Government of Kosovo not to resume dialogue with Serbia, until the EU takes a final decision on removing visas for citizens of Kosovo. Original post Here
Thaci and Vucic to meet on 18 July in Brussels
Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, will meet next week, on 18 July, President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia in the context of the continuation of her facilitation of the EU-facilitated Dialogue. Original post Here
Kosovo President Thaci draws red lines in talks with Serbia after all
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said on Thursday that Kosovo has “red Lines” when it comes to the final phase of the dialogue with Serbia. Thaci drew the “red lines” in talks with Serbia after criticism from opposition parties. Earlier this month Thaci, who leads the political dialogue with Serbia, said …
Fajon expects EC report on visas for Kosovo be published before summer break
Tanja Fajon, the European Parliament rapporteur on visa liberalisation for Kosovo, said that she expects the European Commission report on whether Kosovo has fulfilled all the criteria on visa liberalisation, be published before summer break. Media have reported that the EC is delaying publication of the report due to be …
Kosovo PM wants ‘political truce’ with Serbia
Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said at the end of the Western Balkans Summit in London that he expressed his concerns during his meetings in London over Serbia’s continuous pressure on Kosovo Serbs to leave the Kosovo Security Force. Original post Here
Journalist who is investigating Ivanovic’s murder assaulted in Serbia
Serbian Journalist, Stefan Cvetkovic, who has investigated killing of the Kosovo Serb politican Oliver Ivanovic killed in January in Mitrovica North, was physically assaulted in front of a cafe in his home town of Bela Crkva on Monday evening. The Serbian police have arrested a man suspected of assaulting Cvetkovic, …
Avramopoulos confirmed to Thaci that there will be no delays on visas
Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, said that he got confirmation from the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, that Kosovars will expect soon a “good news” on visas. Original post Here
Pacolli in London: Time for final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia
The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia facilitated by the European Union has brought positive results, but time has come to talk on reaching a final agreement, which is for the benefit of both countries, said Kosovo Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli in his addressing attending the EU-Western Balkans Summit in London. …
Saudi Arabia welcomes Washington’s decision and reaffirms joint stance against extremism Tirana Times, January, 14, 2026 – The United States has officially designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach toward political Islamist movements. The announcement immediately drew …
Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …
In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …
Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. 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
On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …
BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here
Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here
TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …