Latest News from Albania
Interim ForMin Aurescu attends GAC meeting; EU enlargement, post-Brexit negotiation on meeting agenda
Interim Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu participated in Brussels on Tuesday in the meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC), which tackled the enlargement of the European Union and the post-Brexit negotiations, a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informed. The meeting agenda also included the preparations for the European Council of 26-27 March.
The EU Decides within Days whether to Start Membership Talks with Tirana and Skopje
The foreign ministers demanded rapid integration in the Western Balkans.
Within a few days, the EU will decide whether to start membership talks with Northern Macedonia and Albania. This was made clear during a meeting between the foreign ministers of Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and representatives of the European Commission in Thessaloniki.
Albania Prosecutors to Probe Panic-Mongering About Coronavirus
A passenger being checked at Tirana airport amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus, on February 24 2020. Photo: LSA
Prosecutors said they suspected fearful messages were being spread mainly through WhattsApp.
The prosecutor's announcement on Monday followed an eruption of coronavirus cases in nearby Italy, a country with which Albania has multiple links.
Greece’s neighbors and EU expansion
The foreign ministers of European Union candidate countries in the Western Balkans will meet in Greece's northern port city of Thessaloniki on Monday. The foreign ministers of EU members Croatia (which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency), Romania and Bulgaria will also be present.
Editorial: Crucial decisions
Whether one agrees or not with the views of historian Antonis Liakos - who said that Greece due its demographic problem needs to take in one million refugees - the government must take specific decisions regarding how refugees and migrants will be integrated into Greek society.
"If Tirana does this, no one will be able to stop Serbia from resuming the campaign"
Serbia is under attack from the international community because, as it has been repeatedly pointed out, an aggressive campaign against recognition of the so-called Kosovo's independence, which resulted in the withdrawal of recognition.
Albania PM Widens His Media Wars to Include Kosovo
The Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AJK, has criticised Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama for posting his agreement on Facebook with an Albanian academic who has accused Kosovo media outlets of spreading hate speech against Albania.
North Macedonia Joins Partners in Busting Cocaine-Smuggling Gang
North Macedonia's Interior Minister, Nake Culev, on Thursday, said police seized a kilo of cocaine on Wednesday as part of an international drug-busting operation that had involved "several countries", while not naming them.
Bulgaria is among the EU Countries with the Worst Rail Transport
Traveling by train in Bulgaria is not like walking in the park at all, according to an Euronews publication on European rail transport entitled 'A world of train': Where in Europe is rail travel a nightmare?
From France's high-speed TGVs to Moldova's Soviet-era services with wooden benches, Europe's train network is a patchwork of varying standards.
‘Postponement’ of Albania’s Media Muzzle Shouldn’t Fool Anyone
Un-exposed, a hard-hitting TV talk show that featured Albania's four leading journalists, was also shut down after criticizing Rama. A number of other TV talk shows, newspapers, and online platforms critical of Rama are under attack from the government. With little legal recourse, these shows are in the process of shutting down.
Albania offers to fund Pristina: Countering Serbia, lobbying for recognition
Albanian Acting Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gent Cakaj said he had proposed to Pristina to launch a campaign to recognize the unilaterally declared Kosovo state through joint funding.
‘North Macedonia, Albania will deliver,’ EU enlargement chief says
North Macedonia and Albania can deliver on the reforms required to join the European Union, the EU enlargement commissioner said on Tuesday, in the latest sign that the Balkan neighbors are set to overcome France's freeze on their aspirations.
Giovanni Vale: Venice’s Legacy Still Shapes the Balkans
It features some 40 towns and cities in seven countries - Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Cyprus - all of which were once part-ruled by the Venetian Republic.
Vale says that although the Venetian state hasn't existed since 1797, it has left behind it a powerful heritage in terms of culture, architecture, gastronomy and language, which he seeks to explore.
Minister Lajcak: Slovakia continues to be strong supporter of Romania's accession to Schengen Area
Slovakia continues to be a strong supporter of Romania's accession to the Schengen Area and of its candidacy for OECD membership, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Government of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajcak, on a visit to Bucharest, said on Tuesday.
Albania Hails ‘Magic’ Donor Pledges for Earthquake Recovery
Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Brussels on 17 February 2020. Photo: European Commission/Twitter
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the aid toll was "beyond our wildest imagination."