Albania

TIRANA, Albania Politics should remain separate from the judicial system, while justice means treating all citizens equally and fairly, President Bamir Topi said on Sunday (May 10th). He was hosting an event marking the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the Albanian justice system. Topi thanked judges, prosecutors and the …

The Students’ Parliament of the State University in Tetovo, DUT, called for an all out Albanian boycott of Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony of Macedonia’s new President Georgi Ivanov. The students appealed to the heads of the ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia, and Albanian President Bamir Topi to boycott the swear-in ceremony …

TIRANA, Albania Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha on Thursday (May 7th) promised government support to Albanian immigrants living in Greece. Meeting with their representatives in Tirana, Basha stressed that the government expects to reach an agreement soon with Athens authorities regarding social insurance and pensions for Albanian immigrants in Greece. Other …

TIRANA, Albania The government decided late on Wednesday (May 6th) to grant NATO permission to patrol its airspace until the Albanian air force starts patrolling it on its own. Parliament is expected to adopt the measure soon, without objections from the opposition. Albania joined NATO in early April.

The US ambassador to Albania in an impassioned speech on Wednesday harshly attacked attempts by politicians to exert pressure on prosecutors, robustly upholding the profession’s independence. At a ceremony marking the expansion of joint-investigation units commended for fighting economic crime in the last two years, John L. Withers emphasised that …

The Prosecution at the International War Crimes Tribunal has confirmed that it destroyed some materials discovered in the graves of murdered Srebrenica residents. BIRN had earlier revealed that it had received some indications suggesting that the material, that may have provided evidence pertaining to their murder, was destroyed.

TIRANA, Albania Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Tuesday (April 28th) officially submitted Albania’s application for EU candidate status to the current Union president, the Czech Republic. During a ceremony in Prague, Berisha described it as “a dream come true”.

Albania’s government flatly rejected reports by local media on Wednesday that during a recent meeting between Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis Albania ceded part of its territorial waters to Athens. The two leaders signed an agreement on Monday, which has not yet been made public. …

European Commission has welcomed Albania’s application for EU membership. “Today, Albania has reached a historical milestone marking the country’s important engagement to common European values and fundamentals”, Director General for Enlargement, Michel Leigh who was present during the ceremony. Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, officially submitted on Tuesday, the country’s …

TIRANA, Albania The government announced on Sunday (April 26th) it will submit the country’s application for EU candidate status on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sali Berisha will deliver the application to the Czech EU presidency in Prague.