Balkans

Albanian President Bamir Topi has set June 28 as the date of Albania’s parliamentary election, a crucial test of democratisation that will be watched closely by the European Union. Albania has yet to hold elections that meet international standards, with all six general elections since the collapse of communism in …

Kosovo police have arrested six people suspected of involvement in “high-profile” organised crime, a spokesman said on Tuesday. All suspects were Kosovo Albanians from the wider Mitrovica region, and were arrested for alleged involvement in racketeering, money laundering, and smuggling of fuel and other goods into Kosovo. Police spokesman Veton …

After several days of outages due to the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, heating in Serbian households was back to normal on Friday thanks to gas imports from Hungary and Germany. Dusan Bajatovic, general manager of Srbijagas, told Balkan Insight that between four and five tons of natural gas should arrive daily …

Kosovo and Albania said they will soon sign an agreement creating a ‘mini-Schengen’ zone allowing free movement across their borders, a deal that could lead to a wider no-border zone in the region. Travel between Albania and Kosovo is currently possible by showing one’s passport or driver’s license. “The agreement …

The leaders of Macedonia’s four main political parties agreed on March 22 as the date for holding presidential and local elections, seen as a test for the country’s democratic credentials. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, leader of the ruling centre right VMRO DPMNE party, told local media that parliament speaker Trajko …

The impact of the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute on the Balkans reached crisis point on Thursday, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating and forcing businesses to cut production or shut down altogether. Many Balkan countries have no alternative routes and rely almost entirely on Russian gas, which stopped flowing completely on …

Albania will officially apply for EU candidate status in the coming months, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said on Thursday. The announcement came during a meeting with the Czech Ambassador in Tirana on the occasion of the Czech Republic assuming the six-month rotating presidency of the EU in January. Stressing his …

Serbia clinched a deal with Hungary on Thursday to buy gas from the reserves of its northern neighbour, averting at the eleventh hour a heating crisis sparked by the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute. Local media quoted the cabinet of Serbian President Boris Tadic as saying said Tadic struck the deal with …

The International Monetary Fund, IMF, ended its mission to Albania on Thursday after monitoring its economy for 17 years, its departure criticised as premature by economic experts and the opposition. Prime Minister Sali Berisha described the end of the IMF mission as the end of post-communist transition for the Albania’s …

Germany’s Doris Pack said the European Union should put pressure on Serbia to normalise its relations with Pristina or risk a continuation of the inter-ethnic violence in north Kosovo. Belgrade has vowed to never recognise the declaration of independence by its former province and is keeping a firm hold on …