Latest News from Albania
Dacic holds several meetings in New York, attends sustainable development summit
NEW YORK - Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic began a visit to New York on Monday with meetings with Western Balkan FMs and attended the opening of a summit on sustainable development goals.
Crypto boss sentenced to over 11,000 years
Faruk Fatih Özer, the former head of the crypto exchange platform Thodex, has been handed a sentence of 11,196 years in prison by a Turkish court for a litany of charges, including fraud.
The court also imposed a substantial judicial fine of 135 million Turkish Liras, equivalent to approximately $5 million.
‘What law dictates that I cannot be sworn in?’
In a double appeal for his release, Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek who was elected mayor of Himare in southern Albania in the municipal elections of May 14, addresses the judicial institutions as well as the prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama.
The uninvited
The uninvited always miss out. At the recent gathering of Balkan leaders and European officials in Athens, the one who missed out was the one who wasn't in the photo.
Rama made a purge in his cabinet
Among others, he dismissed the head of diplomacy, Olta Xhacka, the Albanian Post reports.
Rama asked the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, to pass a decree on this matter, and it was announced that he will present the changes to Begaj today.
Olta Daka will no longer be the Minister of European and Foreign Affairs and Igli Hasani will be appointed to that position.
Signage pointing to a nonexistent country
Last Saturday, on the shores of Mikri (Little) Prespa Lake, situated on Greece's northwestern border with Albania, a multitude of people celebrated well into the early hours of the morning.
Evros fire enters 15th day
For the 15th consecutive day, firefighters are continuing to battle the wildfires in the northeastern prefecture of Evros, with the focus of their efforts on the areas around the towns and villages of Soufli, Kornofolia, Dadia, Kotronia, Sidiro and Giannouli.
Rejuvenating a vision
The recent gathering of Western Balkan leaders along with top European Union officials in Athens, following an invitation from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (on the 20th anniversary of a summit between the EU and Western Balkan countries in the northern port city of Thessaloniki) was naturally overshadowed by the previously unannounced presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens
Architects lose 30,000 euros to Balkans tour scam
The owner of a tour company with its headquarters in İzmir is accused of defrauding 61 members of the Chamber of Architects branch in Denizli province of roughly 30,000 euros after signing a contract for a Balkans trip.
In April 2023, the chamber which organized a Balkans tour for its members met with Emine Yıldız, the owner of an Izmir-based tour company for the trip.
Rama says justice to rule on Beleri and that he treasures minority
The Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama gave an interview on Greek state media ERT broadcasted on Wednesday discussing Greek-Albanian relations, and the detention of the elected ethnic Greek mayor of the Albanian region Himare, Fredi Beleri. Beleri was arrested by Albanian police special forces over charges of vote buying.
Firefighters battle flare-ups in Evros, smaller fronts in Parnitha
Firefighters worked for yet another night to extinguish the flare-ups in Evros, near the Turkish border. According to the Fire Brigade, their efforts to extinguish the flames are primarily focused on the areas of Lefkimmi, Kotronia, and Tris Vryses, which are experiencing the highest number of flare-ups. Simultaneously, there are also reports of flare-ups in the Kassiteri region.
The arrest of Beleri ‘has nothing to do with me’
Last Monday morning, I received a message from an unknown Albanian number that criticized a report I had written in last Sunday's Kathimerini on the imprisonment of Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of the city of Himare in southern Albania, in which the Albanian prime minister is accused of involvement in his case.
The EU is considering preventing New Members from Blocking other Candidates
A special clause in the countries' accession treaties to the European Union can ensure that they cannot block other applicants immediately after entry.
This was stated by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the Strategic Forum in Bled, which gathered heads of state and government from the Western Balkans and other countries, including Bulgaria and Greece.
PM releases statement expressing gratitude for European firefighting support
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis released a statement on social media on Wednesday expressing his gratitude to the countries that dispatched firefighting forces to Greece to combat the recent wildfires that are burning across the country.
Rama’s intransigence and the next election
The first round in the case of Fredi Beleri, the imprisoned ethnic-Greek mayor-elect of Himare, ended with him remaining in custody, despite Greece's mobilization at the international level, and with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama sticking to his intransigent attitude.