Latest News from Albania
Russia Will Respond to NATO Membership Invitation to Montenegro, Kremlin Says
Russia will have to react to NATO's invitation to Montenegro to join the Alliance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
NATO Foreign Ministers Invite Montenegro to Start Accession Talks
At their meeting, which is taking place in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday, foreign ministers of the NATO member countries invited Montenegro to start accession talks to become the 29th member of the Alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hailed the decision as "historic", identifying it as a good day for Montenegro, the Western Balkans and the Alliance.
NATO Invites Montenegro to Become Member
"We congratulate the government and people for this achievement, this is a very good day for Montenegro, a good day for the Western Balkans and the whole alliance, " NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the foreign ministers North-Atlantic Council meeting on Wednesday in Brussels.
Albanian Activists Rally for Kosovo MP's Release
Several dozen activists gathered on Tuesday in front of the Pyramid, a well-known landmark in Tirana, to protest against Kurti's 30-day remand in a top-security jail.
Students, civil society representatives and independent MP Mesila Doda took part in the rally alongside the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party supporters.
Albania Bans Logging to Save Forests
Albania will impose a 10-year moratorium from January 2016 that will ban logging in all forests and the export of timber.
The draft law prepared by the environmental ministry is likely to be approved by parliament in December and will allow only municipality representatives to cut down trees to meet the needs of people who burn wood for winter fuel.
PM Tsipras meets with top officials in Paris
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had a series of brief meetings on the sidelines of the Climate Change Conference COP21 that is held in Paris.
Mr. Tsipras met with Suwith Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Albanian President Bujar Nishani and the President of Bolivia Evo Morales.
Video Game Spotlights Energy Choices in Balkans
A group of civil society organisations gathered in the South East Europe Sustainable Energy Policy Program launched a video game version of the South East Europe 2050 Energy Model on Monday, as UN climate change talks open in Paris.
The goal is to make audiences in the region aware of choices about the energy and environmental development of their countries.
Greek FM N. Kotzias inspirational speech at the University of Tehran
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias addressed the University of Tehran in Iran on Sunday. He said that Greek foreign policy seeks to be “active and responsible” to unite and “utilize the past for the future”.
Kosovo police arrest opposition leader for Parliament unrest
Police entered the headquarters of Kosovo's main opposition party on Nov. 28 and arrested dozens of people, including one of its leaders who was wanted for the violent actions he has used to disrupt the country's Parliament.
Kosovo Opposition Urges All Albanians to Join Rally
As Kosovo braces for a major rally on Saturday against controversial deals with Serbia and Montenegro, the opposition Vetevendosje [Self-Determination] party has held a meeting in Tirana to appeal to Albanians to join them.
Tirana and Skopje Agree 'Veggie War' Deal
Tirana and Skopje have reached an agreement aimed at ending an ongoing dispute over lengthy phytosanitary checks on Albanian fresh produce at the Macedonian border, following intense diplomatic negotiations over the past two days.
Balkan States Woo Chinese Investors at Summit
The 4th annual Economic and Trade Forum between China and 16 countries of Central and Eastern Europe started on Tuesday in China's eastern coastal city of Suzhou.
Dacic: "All international principles violated in case of Serbia"
Dacic: "All international principles violated in case of Serbia"
All principles of the international community were violated precisely in the example of Serbia, Ivica Dacic said on Wednesday.
Biden Visit to Croatia Confirms US Engagement
US Vice-President Joe Biden has arrived in Croatia for a summit of the so-called "Brdo Brijuni Process", which opened on Wednesday in Zagreb.
Deadly Floods Cause Chaos in Albania
One person has been killed and another is missing after heavy rainfall triggered widespread flooding across Albania over the weekend.
Viktor Gjergji, from the northern town of Lezha, drowned on Sunday while fishing on the Kune lagoon as the weather worsened. A worker from the Dibra hydropower plant, also in the north of the country, is still missing.