Albania

The "rule of law does not function in Albania," the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of the Albanian city of Himare Fredi Beleri has said.

Beleri was detained in May on suspicion of voter fraud. All his appeals to be released in order to be sworn in as mayor have been turned down by the Albanian courts.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is visiting Brussels to attend the NATO foreign ministerial meetings and hold talks with allies on regional and international issues, including the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, as well as on the alliance's prospected expansion with Sweden.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told "Pink" television that "Bulgarians" resent Serbia because it is more popular in North Macedonia.

In the interview, Bulgaria was mentioned on a number of topics in the context of relations with its neighbors.

The worst cold of the season will hit those parts of Europe, bringing a powerful winter storm that will hit the Balkan Peninsula the most, with huge amounts of snow from Romania to Ukraine.
This cold wave is forecast to move towards eastern and central Europe by Saturday and Sunday, spreading further south across the Balkan Peninsula on Sunday and early next week.

BELGRADE - The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday it had presented a note of protest to the Albanian embassy in Belgrade, condemning in the strongest terms the unacceptable act of the burning of the Serbian state flag on Tirana's central Skanderbeg square, shown in footage published by internet media portals on November 20.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the opening of the 2nd Wine Vision by Open Balkan fair in Belgrade that achievements made in just a year were almost incredible and noted that the Open Balkan initiative was an affirmed peace platform.

The road to Albania's EU membership negotiations faces an unexpected halt due to Greece's recent action, reported EurActiv. Greece has wielded its influence within the Council of the EU to obstruct the opening of the initial five chapters necessary for Albania's EU membership negotiations to commence.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Greek government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Monday to improve energy security and cooperation in the Western Balkans.

Special operations forces formations from eight Balkan countries took part in the international exercise "Strong Balkan - 23" (B-9). The exercise of the special operations forces of the countries of the region took place from October 31 to November 10 on the territory of the Republic of Albania.

Greece's decision not to agree to a joint letter of the 27 European Union member-states to Albania on the opening of negotiations of the first package of accession chapters constitutes a substantial escalation of the hard stance toward Tirana due to the ongoing violation of the rights of Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek who was jailed just before he was elected mayor of Himare in the neighboring c