Albanian Govt Fails to Attract Bidders for New Durres Port
After no companies presented bids to redevelop the old Port of Durres as a marina with apartment blocks, the government’s plans for the site – which include building a new port – are in disarray. Original post Here
Kosovo to Abolish Visas for Bosnian Citizens from 2025
At the Berlin Process Summit, Kosovo’s prime minister announced that his country will allow residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina to enter Kosovo only with ID cards – even if Bosnia does not do the same. Original post Here
Feuding Leaders of Albania and Kosovo Quietly ‘Forget’ Joint Govt Meetings
The silent passage of the tenth anniversary of Albania-Kosovo intergovernmental meetings this year underscores a relationship at a historic low – but who is to blame for this rift remains disputed. Original post Here
Ten Years On, What Has the ‘Berlin Process’ Done for the Western Balkans?
The Berlin Process initiative was launched in 2014 to boost the EU integration and alignment of the six Western Balkan countries. Despite continuing political problems in the region, it has delivered significant progress. Original post Here
Italian-Run Reception Centres in Albania ‘Ready to Accommodate Migrants’
The Italian ambassador to Tirana announced that two centres built to accommodate migrants who initially arrived in Italy are now ready to receive people, after months of delays. Original post Here
Turkish president visit opens doors to Tirana Grand Mosque, reaffirms strong ties
TIRANA, Oct. 11, 2024 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an official visit to Tirana on Thursday, reiterating the strong ties between the two countries — opening the doors to the region’s largest mosque, providing drones for the Albanian military and promising to double trade ties. President Erdogan and …
San Daniele (DOP)
The Carrefour supermarket that I sometimes go to in Italy is my favourite supermarket. I’ve been to a few in Europe. I’ve been to Rewe in Germany and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands; what have you. Nothing for me can come close to the Carrefour at Via Cassia in Rome. …
Turkish President’s ‘Mosque Diplomacy’ Divides Albania’s Muslims
The lavish opening ceremony of a grand new mosque gifted by Turkey masks concern in Albania over whether Ankara’s generosity comes at a price. Original post Here
THE ADRIA SECURITY SUMMIT 2024 IS OFFICIALLY OPEN IN SARAJEVO
With the participation of 3,000 guests from over 50 countries, the latest advancements in the security sector will be presented THE ADRIA SECURITY SUMMIT 2024 IS OFFICIALLY OPEN IN SARAJEVO – THE LARGEST SECURITY INDUSTRY EVENT IN SE EUROPE (Sarajevo, October 9, 2024) “Our goal is not only to …
Spain and Albania: Walking Together Towards a Shared European Future
by Ambassador Álvaro Renedo Zalba* As we celebrate Spain’s national Holiday, please allow me to look back and reflect on the significance of the date we commemorate today. On October 12th, 1492, Christopher Columbus, at the behest of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragón, …
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Richard Grenell, reacted following the guilty verdict issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against the KLA leaders. Grenell said that Albin Kurti must act quickly to dissolve this foreign court. “The sentence handed down by The Hague court against Hashim Thaçi, …
During a press conference in Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić commented on the decision to sentence the former KLA leaders to a combined 81 years in prison, urging Serbs not to consider the process over and not to celebrate. He continued to insist that the judgment did not include what …
American professor and Balkan affairs expert Daniel Serwer has reacted following the guilty verdict issued by the Specialist Chambers against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. In an opinion piece published on his website, “Peacefare.net,” Serwer said that Americans and Europeans should be ashamed for criminalizing a liberation …
Human rights organization Amnesty International said that the war crimes convictions of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and three other former senior officials of the Kosovo Liberation Army give hope to victims who have waited for justice “for more than two decades.” Esther Major, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for …
The convictions of Hashim Thaçi and three other former KLA leaders have shaken Kosovo. But beyond the sentences, the verdict has intensified scrutiny of how the Specialist Chambers were created, how the trial was conducted and whether an institution established under strong Western pressure can command the legitimacy international justice …
Top politicians in Kosovo said the Hague judgment finding ex-President Thaci and three other Kosovo Liberation Army ex-leaders guilty of war crimes was unjust – but a Serbian minister said it proved the KLA was ‘criminal’. Original post Here
The United States said it respects the verdict issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. Washington also called on all sides to respect the court’s decision. “We respect today’s verdict of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told …
Prime Minister Edi Rama visited Korçë today to attend a public consultation meeting on the new Administrative-Territorial Reform. Rama said larger administrative units could improve access to another category of European Union funds. He also said the reform could bring more investment to local communities. “What we are doing today …
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the convictions and sentences against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi an “unacceptable injustice.” “The convictions and heavy sentences against four former KLA leaders represent an unacceptable injustice. They also represent a serious and harmful punishment,” Kurti said. Kurti also challenged …
Ali Ahmeti, leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) in North Macedonia and one of the co-founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), called the verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi “unjust and deeply disappointing.” Ahmeti called for restraint and unity. He also urged …