Guinea Bissau reconfirms recognition of Kosovo’s Independence
The state of Guinea Bissau has reconfirmed recognition of Kosovo’s Independence. The news has been confirmed by Kosovo Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli. Original post Here
Rakic: Mitrovica bridge will not open today
Mitrovica North Mayor, Goran Rakic, said that there will be no opening of the main bridge of Mitrovica today dividing the town in ethnic-lines in the south inhabited by Albanians and north inhabited by Serbs. Original post Here
This is how the first permanent border crossing Kosovo-Serbia will look like
Border crossing point of Merdare that links Kosovo with Serbia will look completely different than some time ago. Original post Here
EP Rapporteur: Kosovo is off the train to visas, 2019 more complicated
Igor Soltes, the EU Parliament Rapporteur on Kosovo, reminded to Kosovo politicians the time when Kosovo citizens were close to traveling without visas. He says that the advice of his predecessor, Ulrike Lunacek, was not heard when she called on Kosovo authorities to ratify the Agreement on border demarcation with …
Hoxhaj: Kosovo should apply for the Council of Europe membership in 2018
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, reporting on Tuesday at the Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that Kosovo should submit its Council of Europe (CoE) bid in 2018, noting that full membership of Kosovo will take two to three years. Original post Here
Pristina restricts cars from 31 January to cut pollution
Kosovo Ministry of Environment and Municipality of Pristina have decided that odd and even number vehicles will be allowed to enter the capital city centre on alternate days as of 31 January, imposing the restrictions as an effort to curb rising pollution. Also Kosovo parliament is set to hold an …
Government insists pay rise is legal after Anti-Corruption body ruled as illegal
Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency has on Monday published an opinion qualifying the decision of the Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj to increase salaries of his staff as illegal. According to this opinion the decision is in violation with the Law on preventing of the conflict of interest. Original post Here
Kosovo PM’s pay rise decision challenged at the Constitutional Court
The Vetevendosje MP, Albulena Haxhiu, announced on Monday that she addressed the Constitutional Court challenging the prime minister’s decision to increase salaries of his cabinet. Haxhiu claims PM Ramush Haradinaj’s decision is unconstitutional. Original post Here
MP Ilir Deda says demarcation with Montenegro cannot be negotiated
Member of Parliament representing Alternativa, Ilir Deda, said that current version of the Agreement on border demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro cannot be renegotiated. He said that the only solution is reaching a consensus and ratification by the Parliament of Kosovo. Original post Here
Pacolli visits Sweden
Kosovo Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, is paying an official visit to Sweden, when he was received by his Swedish counterpart, Margot Wallstrom. Original post Here
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 …