Latest News from Albania

Albania is in the grips of a deep constitutional and institutional crisis driven by a deliberate plot to hijack the state in the service of vested interests, the country's president, Ilir Meta, tells Kathimerini in an interview.

Protests have been organised in recent days by activists in Tirana, Belgrade and Podgorica against the damage done to the environment by the building of hydro-power plants.

They were staged under the umbrella name Action Weeks for Balkan Rivers, a joint project by various environmental NGOs, with the slogan "Our rivers - no damage!"

She added that there is no room for provocations.
Albanian President Ilir Meta, who spoke on the plenary session of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) right before Serbian Prime Minister, called on Bosnia-Herzegovina to recognize "the fact that Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state".

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will participate in the summit of state and government heads of the countries participating in the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP). The forum will be held on 8 and 9 July in Sarajevo, as Bosnia and Herzegovina is the current SEECP rotating chair. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on July Tuesday and Wednesday to attend the regional Summit of the South-East European Co-operation Process, SEECP.

However, according to agreed protocols, he will also use this visit to meet Bosnian and regional leaders.

Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu told a news conference on Thursday, occasioned by the launching of the Finnish Presidency at the EU Council, that Romania counts on Finland's support in terms of joining Schengen. "The decision to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen Area should be taken into account.