Blendi Klosi

Twenty environmental organisations have called on the Albanian government to declare the river Vjosa - one of the last "wild" rivers in Europe - a national park. The request was sent on Wednesday to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Blendi Klosi,

Shyqyri Kahari once made a living sailing the world - until marriage in 1979 brought him home to the Montenegrin town of Ulcinj and a job on a triangular-shaped island called Ada Bojana.

With neither Balkan country high up on most foreign tourists' must-see lists, Albania and Serbia have agreed to jointly promote themselves abroad in fairs and other events to draw more visitors to both countries.

Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric signed an agreement with a UN representative in Albania Brian Williams to help a project to fight marine pollution, in the presence of Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati and Minister of Tourism, Blendi Klosi.

Three months ahead of parliamentary elections on June 18, Albania's Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the departure of four ministers, allegedly to focus on the upcoming election campaign.

Rama named the four as Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri, Health Minister Ilir Beqaj, Youth and Social Welfare Minister Blendi Klosi and Local Issues Minister Bledi Cuci.

Moves by Italy to clamp down on Italian companies outsourcing work to Albania have alarmed the government in Tirana, which fears thousands of jobs are at risk.

An amendment that Italy passed on November to a law from 2012 on the rules about call centres raises fears that thousands of jobs in the call-centre sector could go.