Latest News from Albania
Germany Steps Up Efforts on Balkan Firearms Control
A joint initiative by Germany and France to address illicit firearms trafficking has moved the issue of controlling the illegal trade in small arms from the Western Balkans up the political agenda, the German Federal Foreign Office told BIRN.
Albania PM Accused of Planning Online Media Censorship
The office of Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has proposed changes in two laws foreseeing the registration of online media and the policing of news content for a variety of reasons, including "biased" news, news that "damages public morale" and "publications that can incite penal offences".
Albania defends seizure of minority properties
Albania has defended a controversial decision to confiscate property belonging to ethnic Greek families in the south of the country.
On Tuesday, the Greek Foreign Ministry urged Tirana to annul the decision, which also involves the sale of minority property with an eye on tourism development, calling it a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Albania Students Spurn PM's Appeal for 'Dialogue'
Thousands of protesting students flooded Tirana's George Bush Street near parliament on Thursday, in the ninth day of protests in Albania against tuition fee rises, over university autonomy and living conditions in dormitories.
Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture joins European Network for Literature and Books Traduki
Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture will join the European Network for Literature and Books Traduki. The Ministry of Culture will sign an annex to the project's framework agreement for the period January 1, 2019- December 31, 2020, writes the Bulgarian National Radio.
ForMin Melescanu meets representatives of Bulgaria's, Serbia's Foreign Affairs Committees; Minister emphasises regional cooperation
The priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the regional cooperation and the economic interconnection projects were among the topics tackled by Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu during his meeting on Wednesday in Bucharest with representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the National Assemblies of Bulgaria and Serbia.
Macedonia's Fugitive Ex-PM Spotted in Hungarian Capital
About a month since his escape from serving a jail sentence in Macedonia, Hungarian news site 24.hu captured a short video footage of Nikola Gruevski in a restaurant in one of the wealthiest districts in Budapest.
Athens slams Tirana over minority property
With bilateral relations still hurting following the killing of an ethnic Greek man by police in Albania in October, Greece's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned a decision by Albanian authorities to confiscate property belonging to ethnic Greek families in the south of the country.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Balkan Hub of a Global Cigarette Scam
In the nineties, illegal cigarette shipments used to leave Montenegro's port of Bar by speedboat, darting across the Strait of Otranto into the waiting arms of the Italian mafia.
Most Balkan States Adopt UN Migration Pact
More than 150 UN member states signed the Global Compact for Safe and Orderly Migration on Monday in Marrakech, Morocco - which has caused controversy in Balkan countries as it has done elsewhere.
Tensions on Greek-Albanian border over Katsifas service
There were tensions at the Greek-Albanian border on Saturday when Albanian authorities stopped Greek citizens trying to enter the country to attend a memorial service for Konstantinos Katsifas, the 35-year-old ethnic Greek man who was fatally injured by Albanian police in an exchange of fire in late October in the village of Bularat.
Greek policeman, 98 other Greeks denied entry to Albania
Albanian police say a Greek policeman has been arrested after he was found with a pistol.
A statement Saturday said that 98 other Greeks were denied entry to the country due to a lack of documentation or being on a list of banned persons.
Tensions at Greek-Albanian border as mourners try to reach Katsifas service
There were tensions at the Greek-Albanian border on Saturday morning when Albanian authorities reportedly stopped Greek citizens trying to enter the country to attend a memorial service for an ethnic Greek man, Konstantinos Katsifas, who was fatally injured by Albanian police in an exchange of fire in late October in the village of Bularat.
Albania Company 'Falsified US Links' to Win Road Contract
The General Prosecutor's Office in Tirana told BIRN on Friday it would probe allegations that a company had used false documents to win an 18-million-euro public works tender in Albania.
The Albanian-registered company allegedly pretended to be a branch of a major US-based contractor to get the contract.
Pristina, Tirana "sabotage peaceful resolution of problem"
Despite numerous tensions in the relations with Pristina, representatives of the Serbian government attended today's regular meeting of the CEFTA Joint Committee in Pristina in order to send once more a message of peace and tolerance, and show good will to constructively try to negotiate and solve the issue of imposed tariffs by the Provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina, in ac