Edi Rama

Kelmend Balili in court. Photo: LSA

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

Bedri Elezi, director for security studies at the Kosovo Institute for International Studies, who has been helping to repatriate ethnic Albanian relatives of so-called Islamic State fighters from the Middle East conflict zone, told BIRN on Tuesday that around 25 women and children have escaped from the Al-Hawl and Ein Issa camps in northern Syria.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaking at his party headquarters on 30 June 2019. Photo: Gent Shkullaku/LSA

The Commission statement came after the final report of the Commission, expected to be published on Monday, was partially leaked to the Albanian media.

Kinetic 07, the first electric sports car from the Bulgarian company 'Kinetic automotive' during its offical presentation in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia​ on October 10. Photo: EPA-EFE/Vassil Donev.

Leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia have signed a so-called "mini-Schengen" deal, which, modelled on the passport-free zone of the EU, envisages free movement of people, goods, capital, and services between their three countries. Officials of the three countries said they expect all six countries of the Western Balkans to join the area soon.

The facts that the EU is incapacitated by the drama surrounding Brexit, and that the discredited US administration no longer acts as an anchor of stability in the Balkans, make the victory of Albanian nationalists in Pristina even more explosive and meaningful, Lendvai said.

Prime Minister Edi Rama's spokesperson Endri Fuga told BIRN on Tuesday that he did not think it was necessary to comment on the allegation that the Albanian premier was behind an illegal foreign donation of $80,000 to President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.

Albania was shaken by more than 340 secondary earthquakes after the two strong earthquakes with a 5.6 and 5.3 magnitude on the Richter scale were registered on Saturday.

EU ambassador Luigi Soreca said on Monday evening that the controversial proposed law to regulate online media, which is currently going through parliament, is too severe and should be rethought.