Albania

TIRANA, Albania Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha said on Tuesday (July 28th) he is optimistic that the EU will evaluate Albania for visa liberalisation this year and “will open the doors for Albanians” soon. Visiting Brussels, Basha said the EU is focused on further enlargement. On Monday, local media reports suggested …

Albania will quintuple its military deployment in Afghanistan ahead of parliamentary elections in the central Asian country. “Albania has decided to increase its contribution to the alliance forces in Afghanistan, ahead of the August poll, [which are] seen as crucial for the country,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a …

Kosovo Albanian Hysen Sherifi has been charged in the US alongside six others in connection with an international terror plot, which included a potential attack on Kosovo. The 24 year old, who is a US resident, was indicted in Raleigh, North Carolina, for attempting to engage in ‘violent jihad’, the …

TIRANA, Albania The EU is postponing its evaluation of Albania’s application for candidate status due to the prolonged election process in the country, local media reported on Monday (July 27th). Voters went to the polls a month ago, but the final results are still pending, due to challenges raised by …

PRISTINA, Kosovo Many problems remain unaddressed in Kosovo 18 months after the country declared its independence, according to analysis by the German foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Local media reports Tuesday (July 28th) quoted the assessment, which described Kosovo as an “unfinished” state with limited sovereignty and a de facto split …

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s alliance has won enough seats to form a government, though it fell one seat short of a majority, officials say.The result means Mr Berisha’s centre-right alliance will be forced to govern with a small left-wing party. Election officials announced final results from the 28 June …

STRASBOURG The Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe Eurimages is pleased to welcome a new member state, Albania, as of 1st September 2009, the Council of Europe says in a press release. As a result, co-production projects involving a co-producer from Albania can be submitted to Eurimages for examination …

TIRANA, Albania The Central Election Commission (CEC) is ready to deliver the final results of the June 28th general elections, having reviewed all complaints from political parties through the Election Council, local media reported on Sunday (July 26th). But various parties still have another week to file complaints related to …

Macedonia will follow directions given by the European Commission, EC, in deciding whether to establish a visa regime for citizens of Kosovo and Albania. According to Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry, this issue has yet to be discussed. Until now, citizens of Albania and Kosovo have travelled freely into Macedonia. “It is …

TIRANA, Albania A heat wave across the Balkans took its first victim Saturday (July 25th), an elderly man found near the Durres-Tirana highway. In neighbouring Greece, temperatures skyrocketed to 42 degrees Celsius in district of Attica on Saturday. Elsewhere, a fire raged in the eastern part of Crete, forcing the …