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Dhuka: Albania completes technical preparations to close five more EU negotiating chapters

Albania has completed the technical preparations to provisionally close five more EU negotiating chapters in 2026, Chief EU Negotiator Majlinda Dhuka announced today. Speaking before the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs and Foreign Policy, Dhuka said Albania continues to follow the EU roadmap, which предусматри the closure of six additional …

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Special evening celebrates Albania’s cultural heritage at the Palace of Brigades

Albania’s rich cultural heritage, from north to south, took centre stage at a special event held last night at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports organised the event as part of the 20th Annual Conference of the UNESCO Network of Experts on Intangible …

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Rama in Paris: Kushner project sparked mass protests, while a small group escalated them into violence

Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke about the specific nature of protests in Albania during his participation in the Paris Peace Forum, comparing them with similar movements in Italy and France. During a discussion on European Union enlargement and the future of younger generations, Rama was asked what distinguishes protests in …

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EU ambassador: Business consultation is essential for drafting legislation

Businesses play an important role in Albania’s European integration process and have many opportunities to benefit from it, EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa said. During a meeting with business representatives, the ambassador presented the 2026 Albania Report and discussed key issues affecting the business environment, including the …

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Rama: AI, a real blessing for Albania’s European integration; with AI-powered procurement proving to be a true game-changer

TIRANA, November 10 /ATSH/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama stated today that democracy is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement from every nation. He also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in accelerating reforms and aligning Albanian legislation with European Union standards. During the “Peace Forum” held at …

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PM Rama: Kosovo is independent state; sooner Serbia accepts this, the better

TIRANA, Nov 10 /ATA/ – Albania has consistently pursued a peaceful approach and actively promoted regional cooperation in the Western Balkans over the past decade, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday, describing the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia as an unresolved issue. Speaking at the Paris Peace …

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PM Rama urges EU to bring accession candidate countries to negotiating table

TIRANA, Nov 10 /ATA/ – The European Union should adopt a new political approach to enlargement and bring candidate countries negotiating membership directly to the table, while preserving the principle of merit-based accession, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday. Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum, Rama discussed Albania’s EU …

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Rama: Emigration of young people is part of country’s development journey

TIRANA, November 10 /ATSH/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama stated today that the desire among young people to emigrate does not represent an upward trend, but is rather part of the country’s development journey. During a discussion entitled “Europe’s Shared Future: Enlargement and the Next Generation”—focused on European Union enlargement …

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Rama in Paris: Europe must confront “devil” of social media

TIRANA, November 10 /ATSH/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that the European Union’s primary challenge in the coming years concerns not only the enlargement process and candidate countries, but also the Union’s own capacity to manage political shifts and the influence of social media. During a discussion at the …

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Minister: Government to increase cultural heritage funding by 80% in 2027

TIRANA, Nov 10 /ATA/ – The government will increase funding for cultural heritage by 80%  under its 2027 state budget, Tourism, Culture and Sports Minister Blendi Gonxhja said on Tuesday, announcing plans for restoration, conservation and the development of new museum spaces and archaeological sites. Speaking in a video message …

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Elbasan marks 82nd anniversary of its liberation with tribute to 23 fallen partisans

Elbasan marked the 82nd anniversary of its liberation on Wednesday with a ceremony honouring fallen members of the 15th Assault Brigade. Veterans of the National Liberation War, relatives of the fallen, local residents and local government representatives gathered at the monument dedicated to the 23 partisans who gave their lives …

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Transparency Board caps diesel at 205 lek and petrol at 164 lek per litre

The Transparency Board has set new nationwide price caps for retail and wholesale sales of diesel and petrol. At its meeting on Wednesday, 11 November, the Board set the maximum retail price for diesel at 205 lek per litre and the maximum wholesale price at 193 lek per litre. Petrol …

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PM Kurti says Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo would demonstrate genuine democracy

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has set a clear condition for Serbia’s next government to recognise Kosovo’s independence. In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), Kurti expressed hope that the Student List, which reportedly won Serbia’s 25 October parliamentary elections, would take a new approach to Kosovo and commit …

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Students boycott classes and join nationwide protest

Anti-government protests continued on Wednesday, marking the 165th day of public mobilisation. A nationwide protest was announced in Tirana, with students and residents from several cities across the country expected to attend. The rally is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. outside the Ministry of Education. Protesters are then expected …

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Shehu says EU report confirms Albania’s progress and warns violence cannot replace democratic dialogue

Arianit Shehu, executive director of the American Center for Countering Extremism and Terrorism (ACCET), says the European Commission’s progress report confirms that Albania is moving closer to European Union membership. In an opinion piece, Shehu argues that EU integration should take precedence over party interests. He describes the report, published …

News
Gogu discusses judicial reform and faster court proceedings with Italian counterparts

TIRANA, Nov 11 /ATA/ Justice Minister Toni Gogu held three meetings in Rome with representatives of Italian institutions, focusing on strengthening cooperation between Albania and Italy in the field of justice. During his visit to the Italian Senate, Gogu met with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, …

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Gonxhja: Young people are not our adversaries—and meaningful dialogue must bridge our divides

TIRANA, November 11 /ATA/ – Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja participated today in an expanded meeting of the National Youth Council. Gonxhja noted that beyond the specific topics discussed, the meeting highlighted the level of education, critical thinking and sensitivity of a generation that seeks to be …

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Goxhobelli: Cadastral map digitalisation to be completed by year-end, work finished in 1,345 zones

TIRANA, Nov 11 /ATA/ State Cadastre Agency Director Lorena Goxhobelli announced today that the digitalisation of cadastral maps is ongoing, with the aim of completing the process by the end of the year. She said that some services may be temporarily restricted for 21 days during the digitalisation process. “These services …

News
State Election Commissioner appoints 120 observers for local elections of May 9, 2027

TIRANA, November 11/ATSH/ – The State Election Commissioner decided today to appoint 120 observers for the local government elections scheduled for May 9, 2027. The deployment of these observers aims to identify and document election campaign activities, with the objective of verifying compliance with legal obligations by electoral subjects and …

News
Customs collections grow by 440 million lekë in October, defying exchange rate impacts

TIRANA, November 11 /ATA/ – The Customs Administration collected 21.1 billion lekë in revenue last month, marking a 440-million-lekë increase compared to the same period last year. Official data shows this positive performance held steady despite significant currency headwinds. The depreciation of the euro (down roughly 5%) and the US …

News

Elbasan marks 82nd anniversary of its liberation with tribute to 23 fallen partisans

Elbasan marked the 82nd anniversary of its liberation on Wednesday with a ceremony honouring fallen members of the 15th Assault Brigade. Veterans of the National Liberation War, relatives of the fallen, local residents and local government representatives gathered at the monument dedicated to the 23 partisans who gave their lives …

News

Transparency Board caps diesel at 205 lek and petrol at 164 lek per litre

The Transparency Board has set new nationwide price caps for retail and wholesale sales of diesel and petrol. At its meeting on Wednesday, 11 November, the Board set the maximum retail price for diesel at 205 lek per litre and the maximum wholesale price at 193 lek per litre. Petrol …

News

PM Kurti says Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo would demonstrate genuine democracy

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has set a clear condition for Serbia’s next government to recognise Kosovo’s independence. In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), Kurti expressed hope that the Student List, which reportedly won Serbia’s 25 October parliamentary elections, would take a new approach to Kosovo and commit …

News

Students boycott classes and join nationwide protest

Anti-government protests continued on Wednesday, marking the 165th day of public mobilisation. A nationwide protest was announced in Tirana, with students and residents from several cities across the country expected to attend. The rally is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. outside the Ministry of Education. Protesters are then expected …

News

Shehu says EU report confirms Albania’s progress and warns violence cannot replace democratic dialogue

Arianit Shehu, executive director of the American Center for Countering Extremism and Terrorism (ACCET), says the European Commission’s progress report confirms that Albania is moving closer to European Union membership. In an opinion piece, Shehu argues that EU integration should take precedence over party interests. He describes the report, published …

News

Gogu discusses judicial reform and faster court proceedings with Italian counterparts

TIRANA, Nov 11 /ATA/ Justice Minister Toni Gogu held three meetings in Rome with representatives of Italian institutions, focusing on strengthening cooperation between Albania and Italy in the field of justice. During his visit to the Italian Senate, Gogu met with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, …

News

Gonxhja: Young people are not our adversaries—and meaningful dialogue must bridge our divides

TIRANA, November 11 /ATA/ – Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja participated today in an expanded meeting of the National Youth Council. Gonxhja noted that beyond the specific topics discussed, the meeting highlighted the level of education, critical thinking and sensitivity of a generation that seeks to be …

News

Goxhobelli: Cadastral map digitalisation to be completed by year-end, work finished in 1,345 zones

TIRANA, Nov 11 /ATA/ State Cadastre Agency Director Lorena Goxhobelli announced today that the digitalisation of cadastral maps is ongoing, with the aim of completing the process by the end of the year. She said that some services may be temporarily restricted for 21 days during the digitalisation process. “These services …

News

State Election Commissioner appoints 120 observers for local elections of May 9, 2027

TIRANA, November 11/ATSH/ – The State Election Commissioner decided today to appoint 120 observers for the local government elections scheduled for May 9, 2027. The deployment of these observers aims to identify and document election campaign activities, with the objective of verifying compliance with legal obligations by electoral subjects and …

News

Customs collections grow by 440 million lekë in October, defying exchange rate impacts

TIRANA, November 11 /ATA/ – The Customs Administration collected 21.1 billion lekë in revenue last month, marking a 440-million-lekë increase compared to the same period last year. Official data shows this positive performance held steady despite significant currency headwinds. The depreciation of the euro (down roughly 5%) and the US …