Albania

Fredi Beleri, the incarcerated ethnic Greek elected mayor of the Albanian region of Himare, penned a letter to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Sunday. This action followed the resignation of defeated mayor Gjergji Goro, who, having lost to Beleri in the elections, assumed mayoral duties amid his imprisonment. 

Albanian mayoral candidate Gjergj Goro, who assumed office amid the incarceration of opponent Fredi Beleri in the Albanian region of Himare, reportedly resigned on Saturday. 

Beleri, an ethnic Greek, has been incarcerated pending trial since May on vote-buying charges after his arrest on the eve of municipal elections which he won against Socialist candidate Jorgo Goro.

It is preferable, especially for Albania but also for Greece, to address the issue of the elected mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri, bilaterally before it escalates into a EU concern. This proactive approach is essential to prevent any negative impact on the membership prospects of the neighboring country, a goal that Athens has every reason to support.

Albania's parliament voted Thursday to lift the legal immunity of former prime minister Sali Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party and is accused of corruption.

In a move on Thursday that, under certain circumstances, might open the door to a compromise in the case of jailed ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama referred to him as the "elected mayor of Himare" for the first time, even though he backed as correct the ruling by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime in Tirana that denied him permission to attend a

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union announced on Tuesday a 560 million euro ($613.87 million) financing package for North Macedonia to build a railway line to neighboring Bulgaria.

North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani affirmed that Bulgaria's potential future demands on his country would not disrupt its European Union (EU) accession negotiations, highlighting the EU's framework as a barrier against such issues.

As EU leaders meet in Brussels this week, their focus is largely on Ukraine and its ties to the EU. In the buildup to the summit, however, the Western Balkans also caught their attention. This includes the case of Albania and the imprisoned mayor-elect of Himare Fredi Beleri, which has not only caused a rift in Greek-Albanian relations, but also between Athens and Berlin this week.

The public position taken on Wednesday by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in favor of Albania's candidacy to the EU revealed a slight crack in relations between Athens and Berlin.

Greece has clarified that Tirana's intransigence in the case of jailed ethnic Greek mayor-elect Fredi Beleri is in conflict with the European acquis.

BELGRADE - Serbia has fulfilled all 40 recommendations issued by the Council of Europe body on fighting financial crime and money laundering, Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Wednesday.