NATO closed down its office in Tirana on Wednesday (June 2nd), a little more than a year after Albania joined the Alliance in April 2009. In his remarks, President Bamir Topi thanked all peacekeepers serving in missions around the world.

The EU-Western Balkans meeting in Sarajevo on Wednesday (June 2nd) reaffirmed that countries in the region have EU membership prospects, and afterwards, Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni noted “All participants … asked for acceleration of the integration process.” He added that the meeting underscored a commitment to expand visa liberalisation …

Bulgaria is a model for the Western Balkan countries, U.S. Deputy Secretary James Steinberg told journalists after meeting Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov. He said that Bulgaria plays an important role in the Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries in the region. At their meeting the two discussed the situation in …