Latest News from Albania
Vienna Summit Binds Balkan States to Broad Reforms
The six Balkan nations meeting in Vienna obliged themselves in the final declaration of the Western Balkans Summit, issued on Thursday, to refrain from "misusing outstanding issues in the EU accession process" and welcomed the EU pledge to support them in resolving bilateral disputes.
Greek foreign ministry: Destruction of chapel in Albania reminiscent of IS jihadis
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama continued to add fuel to the fire in terms of his socialist government’s relations with Athens, this time speaking in an interview to Albanian site Blakaned.
“They are hilarious to the point of tears, considering a garage-like structure to be a church and protesting because we are restoring our national heritage,” said the Albanian PM.
Albanian Church Demolition Angers Greece
Albanian police have demolished a contested church dedicated to St Athanas in the southern village of Dhermi, angering the Orthodox Church and neighbouring Greece, which supports the Church's mission.
The Orthodox Church called it a vandalistic act of desecration and a violation of church property. Greece said the Albanians were behaving like Islamist extremists.
Refugee Crisis to Overshadow Balkan Summit
The refugee crisis threatens to effectively hijack a high-level conference on the economic prospects and European perspectives of the Western Balkan states that opens in Vienna on Thursday.
The summit includes senior politicians from the EU and the Balkans under the patronage of the German and Austrian chancellors, Angela Merkel and Werner Faymann.
Albanian PM Edi Rama provokes Greeks in tweet
Albania’s socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama seems to be inflaming the relations between Greece and his country, after posting a provocative tweet on his account regarding Greece’s official complaint about the demolition of a Greek-Orthodox Church and skirmishes between locals and Albanian authorities.
Bulgaria Pledges Support for Macedonia's Integration into EU, NATO
Bulgaria is ready to help neighbouring Macedonia meet the requirements for joining the European Union and NATO, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said on Monday.
He also said that increased migrant influx to Macedonia highlights the need to strengthen considerably the European integration of the countries of the western Balkans.
Albania, Greece Row Over Village Church
The Greek Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned what it called a "violent incident" at the church of Saint Athanas in the Albanian village of Dhermi, describing what happened as "unacceptable and contemptible".
Construction police from the local Himara Municipality went to Dhermi on Friday to remove the concrete roof of the church, claiming it was an illegal build.
Turkey's banks need to prepare for slower lending growth: ECB paper
Turkey?s banking system needs to prepare for an end to rapid lending growth and faces some risk from rising external funding needs, while western Balkan banks may struggle with bad loans, an ECB paper says.
Asylum Claims from Balkans Surge in Germany
Germany faced another increase in the number of asylum requests from citizens of the six Western Balkans Countries in July, despite repeated efforts by German and local authorities to halt the phenomenon.
Albania Police Uproot Cannabis Plantations in North
Albania's police launched yet another massive operation aiming to the curb the marijuana trade as the harvest season nears.
"We have engaged about 450 officers from the police and the Rapid Intervention Force for the operation carried in the Dukagjin area. We encountered no incidents," a police statement on Tuesday said.
Merkel says migrants bigger challenge for EU than Greek debt crisis
Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 16 condemned a surge in German attacks on refugee shelters and warned that the issue of asylum could become a bigger challenge for the European Union than the Greek debt crisis.
Russia Says It Destroyed Nearly 600 T of Imported Food in 10 Days
Russia has destroyed some 597 tonnes of food products illegally imported from blacklisted countries since August 6, statistics show.
A message dated August 15 and available on the website of Rosselkhoznadzor, the country's food safety watchdog, reads [RU] that "to date" some 550 tons of agricultural products have been detained and liquidated.
Russia Extends Sanctions to Include Montenegro
Russia on Thursday said it had added Montenegro to the list of countries from which it was banning food imports in retaliation to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.
Russia Expands Food Imports Ban to Five European Countries
Moscow has added five European countries to its food imports ban list introduced in response to Western sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.
"Those countries are Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, as well as Ukraine under certain conditions," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, according to RIA Novosti.
Montenegro now on Russia's counter-sanctions list
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree that extends the list of countries that fall under Russian counter-sanctions, TASS is reporting.
The list now includes Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Liechtenstein, "as well as Ukraine, under special conditions," the agency said.