Latest News from Albania
Albania's Rama Defends Kosovo Import Tax Hike
At the fifth joint meeting of the governments of Albania and Kosovo in Peja, in Kosovo, the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama backed the decision of the Kosovo government to raise the tax on imports from Serbia and Bosnia from 10 to 100 per cent.
"Some countries gave birth to political monster in Pristina"
The first deputy PM and foreign minister stressed that this would run contrary to all agreements reached in Brussels (during EU-mediated Belgrade-Pristina negotiations).
Ministers of Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia meet in Thessaloniki
On Thursday and Friday, 22 and 23 November, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting between Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was held in Thessaloniki. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Economy and Development of the countries took part, reports European Western Balkans.
Greece, FYROM say progress made on school books talks
Senior officials from Greece and neighbor Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia say progress has been made in talks to revise school books in the two countries as part of an effort to end hostility between the two countries.
Bulgaria - No. 60 in the World as a Military Force
In the ranking of the World Military Force for 2018, Bulgaria is in 60th place and has even improved its performance. For the past 2 years our country has climbed seven positions up.
The ranking uses over 55 individual factors to determine the index of 136 countries. Formula allows smaller, more technologically advanced countries to compete with larger ones.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva is in Thessaloniki For a Four-Party Ministerial Meeting
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva will participate in Thessaloniki in the fourth ministerial meeting in Bulgaria, Greece, Albania and Macedonia, reported the Bulgarian National Television.
Bulgaria Returns 190,000 Undismantled Yugoslavian Landmines to Greece
Bulgaria has returned 190,500 anti-personnel mines to Greece due to an incident at a plant where they should have been destroyed, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, reports Sputnik.
Railway Line will Link Albania and Greece
Albania and Greece will connect with a railway line by building a route from Lerin via Kostur to Pazardzhik. The project will be funded by Interreg-IPA CBS Greece-Albania, reports Darik.
At a meeting in Kostur dedicated to the rail link between the two countries, it was emphasized that the project would be part of the trans-European network.
Macedonia's Gruevski Gets Hungary Asylum, Alleges Murder Plot
Nikola Gruevski said in a lengthy Facebook post on Tuesday that Hungary has granted him political asylum, citing what he said was "politically-orchestrated persecution by Macedonia's new government led by the Social Democrats".
The former Macedonian premier said that if he went to jail, his life would have been in danger as he had heard about a plot to assassinate him.
"Ex Macedonian PM passed through Serbia on way to Hungary"
The president stressed that this happened before an international arrest warrant was issued for Gruevski in Skopje, who fled the country in order to avoid serving two years in jail because of alleged abuse of office related to buying an armored Mercedes car.
The Macedonian Interior Ministry issued the arrest warrant on the evening of Nov. 13.
Improving economic cooperation with Albania
Improving economic cooperation with Albania
Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali spoke with Albanian Minister of Finance Arben Ahmetaj in Belgrade on Monday.
According to the Serbian government, they discussed "economic cooperation of the two countries and how this cooperation can be improved."
Vucic: Serbia Had 'No Grounds' to Arrest Gruevski
Aleksandar Vucic confirmed on Monday evening that Nikola Gruevski, who fled last week as he was due to start a two-year jail term in Macedonia, exited Serbia at the Tompa-Horgos-Roszke border crossing with Hungary on November 12, the same day as he arrived in Serbia from Montenegro.
Kosovo's bid to join Interpol fails
B92.net learned this on Tuesday.
The first round's result was 76 votes in favor, 56 against, 22 abstained.
There was a 20 minute break before the second round.
Russians did not support us Monday, Kosovo vote Tuesday
Serbia was outvoted 6-7 on Monday when the (executive committee) voted to include the item on the agenda.
The presiding at the Interpol rejected the request of Serbia an five other countries not to consider Pristina's bid.
Map: Gruevski's 'Great Escape' Through the Balkans
Data from the Macedonian, Albanian and Montenegrin police now paint a relatively accurate picture of former prime minister Nikola Gruevski's escape route through the Balkans to Hungary to avoid serving a two-year prison sentence.