Albania advances in implementing EU Growth Plan
TIRANA, August 7 – Albania continues to make progress in implementing reforms linked to European integration and has received financial support under the European Union’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. According to the EU-funded platform “WEBALKANS_eu”, Albania has made strong and sustainable progress. The platform said the country has …
Football Federation approves Elite Youth Academy participation in youth championships
TIRANA, August 7 – The Executive Committee of the Albanian Football Federation (FSHF) has approved the participation of Elite Youth Academy teams in the Abissnet Superiore U-16 and U-17 championships for the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 seasons. The decision aims to strengthen youth football development and create more opportunities for young …
Defense Minister thanks firefighters battling wildfires
TIRANA, August 7 – Defense Minister Ermal Nufi shared footage today from the firefighting operation in the Mount Dajti area and praised the commitment and sacrifice of personnel working on the ground. Nufi said in a social media post that emergency structures and Armed Forces personnel provide protection for citizens, …
Foreign tourists praise Durrës for hospitality, beaches and affordable prices
TIRANA, August 7 – Foreign tourists visiting Durrës during the summer season have praised the city’s beaches, hospitality, affordable prices and relaxing atmosphere. Visitors from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, England, the Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic said they had a positive experience and considered Durrës an attractive destination for …
Financial Times: PM Rama says Albania has clear path to EU membership
TIRANA, August 7 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania has a clear path toward European Union membership in an interview with the Financial Times, which examined the European Union’s renewed enlargement agenda. Rama said the country is in one of the strongest positions in its modern history. He added …
Business turnover rises by ALL 127 billion in first half of 2026
TIRANA, August 7 – Business turnover across Albania’s main economic sectors increased by ALL 127 billion during the first half of 2026, reflecting stronger economic activity, Finance Minister Petrit Malaj said. Malaj said business turnover rose by 7% compared with the same period in 2025. He added that the figures …
Central Purchasing Operator launches new electronic procurement platform
TIRANA, August 7 – The Central Purchasing Operator (OBP) launched a new electronic procurement platform to fully digitalize the management of public procurement requests, Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj said. Ibrahimaj said the new platform, prokurimet.obp.al, will allow more than 250 contracting authorities to manage procurement requests entirely online. …
Property revaluation saves taxpayers €120.5 million in seven months
TIRANA, August 6 – Albania’s property revaluation scheme has saved taxpayers €120.5 million in fiscal costs during the first seven months of 2026, according to the General Directorate of Taxation. The scheme allows property owners to revalue real estate by paying a reduced 5% tax rate. Tax authorities said the …
Finance Ministry begins preparations for new Eurobond issue
TIRANA, August 6 – Albania’s Finance Ministry has started preliminary preparations for a new Eurobond issue planned for 2027 as the country’s macroeconomic indicators continue to show positive performance. Deputy Finance Minister Endrit Yzeiraj said officials discussed recent macroeconomic developments, government borrowing plans in international capital markets and future cooperation …
Kosova Assembly suspends constitutive session as PM Kurti seeks more time for presidential deal
TIRANA, August 6 – Kosova’s Assembly suspended its constitutive session after Self-Determination leader Albin Kurti requested more time for political talks on a candidate for the country’s next president. Kurti told lawmakers that additional time was necessary to allow negotiations to continue. He said the parties needed more time to …
North Macedonia’s Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said that, despite the convictions, the four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders “remain Kosovo’s liberators.” “Today’s verdict is a first-instance decision, while the battle for justice continues,” Gashi wrote on social media. Gashi called for calm. He also said that Thaçi, Krasniqi, Veseli …
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 …