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Begaj Pledges Albania’s Support for Albanians in the Presheva Valley

President Bajram Begaj visited the Presheva Valley, where he met with local leaders, including municipal mayors Ardita Sinani and Arbër Bajaziti, the only Albanian member of Serbia’s Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, and the head of the Albanian National Council, Enkel Rexhepi. The meetings focused on the concerns of Albanians in the …

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Hoxha: Albania Begins Preparations to Host Next NATO Summit in Tirana

Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha said Albania has begun preparations to host the next NATO Summit in Tirana, which could take place in 2027. Speaking to Top Channel during the NATO Summit in Ankara, Hoxha described the event as an important milestone for both the Alliance and Albania. Furthermore, he said …

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Nufi: Hosting the Next NATO Summit Marks a Historic Moment for Albania

Defense Minister Ermal Nufi described Albania’s selection to host the next NATO Summit as a historic moment for the country. In a social media post, Nufi said the decision reflects the trust that NATO allies have placed in Albania. Furthermore, he said the decision recognizes Albania’s strong commitment to Euro-Atlantic …

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Balla: Albania has entered a decisive phase in its EU accession process

Albania has entered a new and decisive stage on its path toward European Union membership, Socialist Party parliamentary group leader and EU–Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee co-chair Taulant Balla said in Strasbourg. Speaking at the opening session of the 21st meeting of the committee, Balla described the moment as …

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Albania presents its civil service recruitment model at OECD/SIGMA workshop

Albania presented its experience in civil service recruitment and selection systems during a regional workshop organised by OECD/SIGMA in Paris. Representatives from the Department of Public Administration (DAP), alongside officials from Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries, participated in the workshop titled “Strengthening recruitment and selection systems in the civil …

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Kurti: Kosovo secures €206.4 million from EU funds for development projects

Kosovo will benefit from €206.4 million in European Union funding, according to acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The EU’s IPA Committee approved Kosovo’s proposed projects under the IPA 2026 and IPA 2027 programmes, worth €180.5 million. In addition, three grants from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), totaling €25.9 million, …

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NATO’s Ankara Summit: Albania Confirmed, but No Date Set

Tirana Times, July 8, 2026 – NATO’s Ankara Summit, held on July 7 and 8, marked less a moment of new strategic doctrine than a shift from political pledges to implementation. The central message was clear: the Alliance is moving into a phase where defence spending, industrial capacity, support for Ukraine …

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IMF forecast: Albania among Europe’s fastest-growing economies

TIRANA, July 8 – According to projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European economy is expected to maintain moderate growth rates during the remaining years of this decade. For the 2027–2031 period, the eurozone economy is forecast to expand by an average of 1.2% annually, while the European …

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Tourist flows increase towards mountain areas, with Theth and Shala River among top destinations

TIRANA, July 8 – During these hot July days, many foreign tourists fill the streets of Shkodër. Their travel gear and backpacks easily identify them as nature and adventure tourism enthusiasts. Many visitors use Shkodër as a starting point to explore some of northern Albania’s most popular mountain destinations. Meanwhile, …

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PM Rama: Next NATO Summit to take place in Tirana

TIRANA, July 8 – Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Wednesday that the next NATO Summit will take place in Tirana, following the conclusion of the Alliance’s meeting in Ankara. PM dismissed speculation that Albania would not host the summit. He said the country had moved beyond a time when …

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Rama shares footage of Kanye West concert venue: €4 million is an investment, not an expense

Prime Minister Edi Rama has once again defended the upcoming Kanye West concert in Tirana, scheduled for Saturday evening. In a post on social media, Rama shared footage of the completed concert venue, saying the stadium is ready and that the event will place Albania on the global map of music fans. The prime …

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Kolonja attracts foreign tourists with traditional cuisine and unspoilt nature

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:e5659a20-7ccd-4ac7-ac8b-8f8f08377e9a-28″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:e5659a20-7ccd-4ac7-ac8b-8f8f08377e9a-28″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-58″ data-turn=”assistant”> Visitors to the southeastern Albanian region of Kolonja are not only exploring its natural attractions and cultural heritage sites, but also learning how to prepare traditional dishes before enjoying them. Cooking alongside local residents has become one of the area’s most popular experiences …

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Competition Authority launches grocery price monitoring following public complaints

Albania’s Competition Authority has launched a market monitoring process focused on the retail sale of essential grocery products, following complaints from citizens and concerns raised by members of parliament over the prices of everyday consumer goods. According to an official statement, the monitoring will cover the country’s main supermarket chains …

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Rama shares negative review of Rozafa Castle: Hopes prosecutors will act against ‘blackmailers’

Prime Minister Edi Rama has once again reacted to negative online reviews, this time sharing a video highlighting critical ratings of Rozafa Castle in Shkodra. The prime minister said such posts are harming Albania’s tourism sector and expressed hope that prosecutors will swiftly take action against those he described as individuals who …

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Rama on protests: Algorithm amplified negativity, ‘adding fuel to the fire’

Prime Minister Edi Rama met with young people in Jalë on Saturday, where he discussed the recent protests and the impact of social media algorithms. Rama said algorithms play a significant role in amplifying negativity, online noise and manipulated content, describing such videos as “fuel added to a fire” that, he argued, was started by …

News
Kanye West welcomed by Edi Rama, Albanian PM shares footage of meeting

One of the world’s best-known rappers, Kanye West, was welcomed by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who shared footage of their meeting on social media. The video shows Rama introducing the American artist to aspects of Albania’s culture and history. West arrived in Albania ahead of his concert scheduled for …

News
Hoxha tells young people in Jalë: EU membership requires your involvement – Europe starts at home

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha, together with Prime Minister Edi Rama, took part in an open discussion with 150 young activists from Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro at #RinCamp2026. Albania’s EU accession process and the country’s progress towards membership were among the key topics discussed during the panel organised by the National …

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K’cimi dancing of Tropojë – Gazmend Freitag

by Monika Grill Tirana Times, July 11, 2026 – “K’cimi i Tropoja” – the dance that endured over centuries and kept the Albanian identity alive, has been officially declared part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. “K’cimi i Tropoja” refers to a traditional …

News
Kanye West concert in Tirana today, road restrictions announced

Tirana, July 11 – International artist Kanye West will perform today in Tirana. The concert will take place at Eagle Stadium, a venue built specifically in the Kashar area. To ensure public safety and manage traffic, Tirana Police has announced temporary road restrictions around the event area. From 07:00 to …

News
Justice reforms bring Albania closer to European Union membership

Tirana, July 11 – Justice Minister Toni Gogu said justice system reforms and the implementation of the National Reform Agenda under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans are concrete steps toward Albania’s European Union membership. Gogu said a strong, independent and accountable justice system remains a key pillar of …

News

Rama shares footage of Kanye West concert venue: €4 million is an investment, not an expense

Prime Minister Edi Rama has once again defended the upcoming Kanye West concert in Tirana, scheduled for Saturday evening. In a post on social media, Rama shared footage of the completed concert venue, saying the stadium is ready and that the event will place Albania on the global map of music fans. The prime …

News

Kolonja attracts foreign tourists with traditional cuisine and unspoilt nature

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(–scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(–thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” data-turn-id=”request-WEB:e5659a20-7ccd-4ac7-ac8b-8f8f08377e9a-28″ data-turn-id-container=”request-WEB:e5659a20-7ccd-4ac7-ac8b-8f8f08377e9a-28″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-58″ data-turn=”assistant”> Visitors to the southeastern Albanian region of Kolonja are not only exploring its natural attractions and cultural heritage sites, but also learning how to prepare traditional dishes before enjoying them. Cooking alongside local residents has become one of the area’s most popular experiences …

News

Competition Authority launches grocery price monitoring following public complaints

Albania’s Competition Authority has launched a market monitoring process focused on the retail sale of essential grocery products, following complaints from citizens and concerns raised by members of parliament over the prices of everyday consumer goods. According to an official statement, the monitoring will cover the country’s main supermarket chains …

News

Rama shares negative review of Rozafa Castle: Hopes prosecutors will act against ‘blackmailers’

Prime Minister Edi Rama has once again reacted to negative online reviews, this time sharing a video highlighting critical ratings of Rozafa Castle in Shkodra. The prime minister said such posts are harming Albania’s tourism sector and expressed hope that prosecutors will swiftly take action against those he described as individuals who …

News

Rama on protests: Algorithm amplified negativity, ‘adding fuel to the fire’

Prime Minister Edi Rama met with young people in Jalë on Saturday, where he discussed the recent protests and the impact of social media algorithms. Rama said algorithms play a significant role in amplifying negativity, online noise and manipulated content, describing such videos as “fuel added to a fire” that, he argued, was started by …

News

Kanye West welcomed by Edi Rama, Albanian PM shares footage of meeting

One of the world’s best-known rappers, Kanye West, was welcomed by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who shared footage of their meeting on social media. The video shows Rama introducing the American artist to aspects of Albania’s culture and history. West arrived in Albania ahead of his concert scheduled for …

News

Hoxha tells young people in Jalë: EU membership requires your involvement – Europe starts at home

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha, together with Prime Minister Edi Rama, took part in an open discussion with 150 young activists from Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro at #RinCamp2026. Albania’s EU accession process and the country’s progress towards membership were among the key topics discussed during the panel organised by the National …

News

K’cimi dancing of Tropojë – Gazmend Freitag

by Monika Grill Tirana Times, July 11, 2026 – “K’cimi i Tropoja” – the dance that endured over centuries and kept the Albanian identity alive, has been officially declared part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. “K’cimi i Tropoja” refers to a traditional …

News

Kanye West concert in Tirana today, road restrictions announced

Tirana, July 11 – International artist Kanye West will perform today in Tirana. The concert will take place at Eagle Stadium, a venue built specifically in the Kashar area. To ensure public safety and manage traffic, Tirana Police has announced temporary road restrictions around the event area. From 07:00 to …

News

Justice reforms bring Albania closer to European Union membership

Tirana, July 11 – Justice Minister Toni Gogu said justice system reforms and the implementation of the National Reform Agenda under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans are concrete steps toward Albania’s European Union membership. Gogu said a strong, independent and accountable justice system remains a key pillar of …