European Commission to decide on visas for Kosovo on 28 June
The European Commission is expected to decide on 28 June whether Kosovo has fulfilled all the visa liberalisation benchmarks, and based on the EC report, the EU institutions will decide whether or not Kosovo deserves visa free regime in the EU Schengen area. This has been confirmed to Gazeta Express, …
Kosovo Parliament Speaker asks France’s support on visa liberalisation
Kosovo Parliament Speaker, Kadri Veseli, has travelled to Paris, as part of his tour in the EU member countries lobbying to get support for the visa liberalisation for Kosovo. Veseli who last week visited Austria, is accompanied by a group of ruling and opposition MPs during his lobbying tour. Original …
No date on resumption of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, says Collaku
Bekim Collaku, chief of cabinet of the Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, said that he expects the final phase of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will start soon, but no date has been set yet. Original post Here
Kosovo’s Interpol membership bid included in the agenda
Kosovo’s bid for membership into International Criminal Police Organisation – Interpol has been included in their agenda. This has been confirmed by Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli. Original post Here
British Ambassador says return of Xhabir Zharku as a free man is shameful
British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell, says the return of former Kacanik mayor, Xhabir Zharku as a free man to Kosovo, is shameful. Zharku was sentenced to three years in prison for extortion and the illegal possession of weapon, but he escaped from Kosovo evading justice. Original post Here
Once most wanted fugitive returns in Kosovo to help ‘develop the country’
Former mayor of Kacanik, Xhabir Zharku, who was sentenced in 2011 to three years in prison for extortion and the illegal possession of weapon, has returned home last week as free man after six years on the run. Upon his return to his hometown after the statute of limitations has …
Kosovo Parliament Speaker Veseli meets EP Rapporteur on Visas, Tanja Fajon
Kosovo Parliament Speaker, Kadri Veseli, met on Wednesday in Strasbourg, Tanja Fajon, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Kosovo on the process of visa liberalization. Original post Here
Kosovo man charged over attempt to join ISIS in Syria
The Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo has indicted a Kosovo Albanian man on terrorism charges, who allegedly wanted to join ISIS in Syria but was caught in Turkey and sent back to Kosovo. Original post Here
Albania asks China to recognise Kosovo as independent country
The Socialist Party of Albania asked the representatives of the Communist Party of People’s Republic of China to recognise Kosovo and support its membership into international organisations. Original post Here
Kosovo welcomes solving of name dispute between Greece and Macedonia
Kosovo leaders have welcomed reaching of a deal on the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece. Athens and Skopje say they have reached a deal to resolve their 27-year dispute over the former Yugoslav republic’s name. Original post Here
Forty-one environmental organisations from 28 countries have called for a halt to the planned development by Jared Kushner of Albania’s Sazan island as a luxury resort, saying it threatens the valuable biodiversity of the area. Original post Here
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here
Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here
The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here
Tirana, 21.01.2026 – Research on disability has increasingly moved into the centre of international scientific and policy discussions, reflecting broader debates about inclusion, quality of life and access to public space. Against this wider backdrop, the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) has opened nominations for the 4th cycle of …
While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. Original post Here
When the “Choo Choo” Train Never Came It begins with a scene that now feels almost surreal. In 2022, during a staged media event in Tirana, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku enthusiastically explained to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway would be completed by 2024. …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
The United States has once again issued an unusually clear and public warning about the threat posed by Albanian organized crime groups and their links to Latin American drug cartels, framing the issue not only as a criminal challenge but as a direct risk to Albania’s national security and economic …
As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities of what 2026 holds in store. Original post Here