Week in Review: Flamingos, Think Tankers and Returning Radicals

Our selection of Premium stories digs deep into a lively week, as Europe limps towards rebooting the enlargement system, votes in Kosovo are counted and Albanians throw off a reputation for apathy.

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Albania Could Face Costly Arbitration Battle After Scrapping Vlora Airport Plans

Experts say the government’s move to ditch a controversial concession contract to build Vlora International Airport, at significant cost to taxpayers, highlights structural weaknesses in Albania’s public-private partnership framework. Original post Here

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Zelenskyy’s Kosovo Stance Puts Solidarity With Ukraine to the Test

Pristina and Tirana push back against Kyiv’s stance, insisting that Kosovo’s sovereignty cannot be diminished or equated with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Tirana Times , August 09, 2026 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s confirmation in Belgrade that Kyiv has not changed its position on Kosovo has triggered criticism in Albania and …

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Mecca Defense Pact Signals Saudi Arabia’s Bid to Shape a New Security Order

The agreement with Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan strengthens Riyadh’s position as a central architect of regional security, while reflecting a broader shift toward a more multipolar international system. Tirana Times, August 08, 2026 – The signing of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan represents more …