Latest News from Albania
OTE reports drop in revenues and profits last year
Leading telecom OTE announced on Thursday a 20.8 percent drop in group operating profits last year, with revenues shrinking 1.3 percent.
Amnesty Highlights Continued Rights Failings In Balkans
Amnesty International's annual report, published on Thursday, shone a light on human rights violations in all Balkan countries and pointed especially to a lack of will to deal with war crimes.
The report presented the state of human rights during 2017 in 159 countries and territories.
The Centuries-old Beech Forests in Central Balkan are Included in an Inter-state Site List of UNESCO
The centuries-old beech forests of the protected park in Central Balkan National Park are becoming part of the UNESCO World Heritage.
The Guardian: Europe is Facing a Potential Crisis in the Balkans. It has to Act Soon
The second world war is over but the first world war is not yet finished." Those were the words of a senior Turkish official I met recently in Ankara. He was speaking of the Middle East, but it was the sort of comment I might well also have heard in Moscow, in Kiev or in the Balkans, about the state of affairs on the European continent.
Here comes Rama: "My statement was taken out of context"
Rama also said he would not be "calming anyone down" - and added that if someone was worried, "let them worry."
"The EU's reaction in this respect was normal and in line with its policy. It was nothing but pure imagination," Rama told a local television, the agency ATA reported.
Albania President Blocks Talks on Sea Border with Greece
President Ilir Meta on Tuesday refused to provide the authorisation for further talks with Greece to resolve the sea border disagreement, demanding further information on what and how the government will negotiate.
"The request doesn't clearly define the object of negotiations for which the authorisation is requested," Meta said in a statement.
"Greater Albania": Edi Rama Suggests Future "Single President" With Kosovo
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says his country and neighboring Kosovo could one day have a single president, although he added that it was not likely to happen in the near future.
Rama Criticised for Albania-Kosovo 'Joint President' Idea
Analysts in Pristina told BIRN on Monday that Albania and Kosovo should take serious steps towards practical cooperation instead of the idea of a having a joint president, which was suggested by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama during a speech to Kosovo MPs the previous day.
"Draw line between us and Greater Albania in Kosovo"
According to Vulin, the idea of all Albanians living in one state and having one president is "proof of Greater Albania" - and it must be stopped.
Edi Rama Suggests Kosovo and Albania Could have Common President One Day
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has suggested that one day Kosovo and Albania could have "a common president as a symbol of national unity," the France press reported.
Albanian PM moots Kosovo co-presidency
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Feb. 18 his country and Kosovo could one day have a single president as a “symbol of national unity” between Tirana and Pristina.
EU split over Serbia, Montenegro
European Union foreign ministers disagreed on Thursday over a proposal by the bloc's executive to push for expansion into the Western Balkans, a region still scarred by ethnic wars fought in the 1990s and dogged by a reputation for lawlessness.
Western Balkan Nations Told to Work Harder to Join EU
The European Union on Friday told six Western Balkan nations seeking membership that they would have to implement difficult reforms before they can be allowed to join the wealthy bloc, according to Reuters.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister: Security and Defense Are a Global Problem
Today begins the second day of the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Sofia. It also includes ministers of the candidate countries - Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro.
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will also participate. The forum will discuss the Security and Defense topics.
Albania's Skanderbeu Faces UEFA Ban for Match Fixing
UEFA's Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectorate has recommended a 10-year ban from UEFA competitions and 1 million euros fine for Albania's top soccer team, KS Skenderbeu, over alleged match-fixing, Albanian media reported on Thursday.