Albania

Minister of Kosovo Goran Bogdanović says that the time when Belgrade was sending “directives” had passed. He was answering criticism of the official Belgrade’s position toward the local elections held in the province last weekend, organized by the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština.

Foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) on Monday agreed to proceed with Albania’s bid to become a member of the 27-nation bloc, but it’s only the initial step for the country to be formally admitted as a member of the EU. The next step is for the European Commission, …

The largest boycott was registered yesterday at the partial elections held in Albania. The opposition’s boycott, led by the Socialists caused a 20% turnout at the elections. Mayor-candidates from

The people of Kosovo have voted in local elections – the first poll since the territory declared independence from Serbia last year. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s ruling PDK coalition has claimed a “convincing” victory, but official results are due in the next few hours. Voting passed off calmly, with turnout …

US Ambassador in Tirana John L Withers called on Prime Minister Sali Berisha and opposition leader Edi Rama to find common ground and resolve the politcal row that has engulfed the country since the 28 June parliamentary elections. “Our position (on the parliamentary boycott) is that it would really be …

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has called on the Kosovo Serbs to vote in the local elections scheduled for Nov. 15. “I once again call on representatives of all communities, in this case the Serb community as well, to be active in this process, which primarily concerns the exercising of their …

With just two days left before the local elections, concern has been raised about mysterious visits to the vote counting centre by workmen claiming to work for EULEX, and questions are being asked about three tenders, crucial to the election process. Mystery workmen, claiming to be employees of EULEX and …

Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina must catch up on the reforms needed to qualify for a short-stay visa waiver like those of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, said MEPs on Thursday. The European Commission should report on the two countries’ progress early in 2010, and also …

EU countries have agreed to proceed with Albania’s application for membership of the European Union, a first step in a long process towards possible membership of the bloc, EU diplomats said. Ambassadors from the 27 EU states decided at a meeting in Brussels to ask the European Commission to prepare …

The OSCE has criticized the provisional institutions in Priština saying that they are not meeting their obligations toward the returnees in Kosovo. In its report, the OSCE said that the Albanian majority in the province had taken very few concrete steps since the adoption of the strategy for reintegration of …