Latest News from Albania
Western Balkans Make Progress towards Visa Libralisation
Western Balkan countries, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine continue to meet the visa liberalisation requirements and made progress in addressing last year's recommendations. That is the conclusion of the 4th report on the monitoring of the EU visa-free regime with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, as well as Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Wildfires Cause Havoc – and Arguments – in Balkans
Balkan countries are battling wildfires that have claimed eight lives in Turkey and injured hundreds more, while one person died in Albania and a military officer been injured.
Fires have destroyed land, forests, houses and tourist accommodation in Greece and Turkey. Villages and neighbourhoods have been evacuated in Turkey, Greece and Albania.
Slovenia sends firefighters to N Macedonia
Ljubljana – Slovenia has deployed a civil protection unit and 16 vehicles to North Macedonia to help fight wildfires there in response to the country’s asking for help through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
According to a post on the government’s Twitter profile, Slovenia sent 46 members of civil protection specialising in fighting wildfires with 16 vehicles.
Albanian Tourism Struggles to Escape Shadow of COVID-19
A report by the country's Institute of the Statistics said that pre-COVID, tourism employed about 64,000 people in 2019 and contributed some 3.23 per cent to the country's GDP.
However, tourism was hit hard in 2020 because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the year saw far fewer entries by Albanian or foreign visitors.
Albania, UK Prisoner Deal Waits on Albanian Parliament
Albania's Ministry of Justice told BIRN on Tuesday that the new agreement with the UK would need to be ratified first by the Albanian parliament to enter into force and before initially dozens of criminals come to Albania to serve their sentences.
Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia Cancel Border Controls as of 2023
An arrangement has been reached to cancel border controls between Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania as of 1 January, 2023, President Aleksandar Vučić said in Skopje on Thursday.
Direct Flights between Albania and Bulgaria start on August 1
Direct weekly flights between Albania and Bulgaria are starting as of 1 August. By 28 August an assessment will be made whether the lines can be maintained all the year round, including towards other destinations.
Vučić - Kurti 3:0
As he pointed out, something like that did not happen.
Vučić: Kurti is wrong, but I have nothing against it VIDEO
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that he was sorry that some in the region were against the "Open Balkans" initiative, because they would like to remain stuck in the 1990s and within closed borders.
Balkan ‘Mini-Schengen’ Leaders Eye Open Borders by 2023
North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania aim to practically scrap all border obstacles for their citizens and businesses by 2023, eliminating long and tedious waits for travellers and complicated paperwork for companies.
If we succeed, from January 1, 2023, no borders for Serbian citizens - "Open Balkans"
The prime ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama, are also taking part in the forum.
Vui was first handed letters of thanks for his help in the fight against coronavirus and donations of vaccines to North Macedonia. He thanked them and then announced the big plans that North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia have.
The Financial Times writes about the Vučić - Zaev - Rama meeting: "Waiting for Godot"
The leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia have criticized Brussels for its slow EU enlargement, promising to continue with its own travel zone and business zone while waiting for the bloc to receive them.
"We know that there is fatigue from EU enlargement," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview.
EasyJet with Routes to 30 Countries in August
In August, the low-cost airline EasyJet will serve 30 countries. There is a dropout of three countries compared to the same month in 2019 - Estonia, Finland, Norway and Slovenia will no longer be served, although all of them except Norway will "return" in September-November.
‘They’re Police’: Hapless Albanian Drug Couriers and a Minister’s Muscle
Their story, contained in court documents seen by BIRN, speaks to the well-placed connections that grease the wheels of Albanian drug trafficking, connections that in the case of Seferi and Ajdini stretched all the way to the security detail of the country's then interior minister.
Drug deal negotiated under police guard
Northern Epirus: Albanians stole the bones of Greek WWII soldiers!
One more incident of the “velvet ethnic cleansing” the Greek minority of Albania is subjected to