Albania

Albanian Media Threaten to Boycott Campaign Tapes

Although the campaign for the June 21st local elections in Albania has not officially started, the main parties have already announced their candidates for the race and they have been busy with campaign events.

However, these events are not being covered directly by the media. Instead, they are either taped by the local parties' PR offices or live TV feeds are offered to TV stations.

A new war in the Balkans?

On the one hand, violence is re-erupting in Bosnia. On the other hand, Albania and Serbia seem to be at odds. And Serbia still doesn?t accept Kosovo?s independence.

What is happening in the Balkans? Are we on the brink of a new war in Bosnia and Kosovo?

I asked these questions to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama who I recently had the chance to have a tête?à?tête with. 

Russian Statement on Macedonia Infuriates Albania

Albania's Foreign Ministry on Monday said it had summoned the Russian ambassador, Alexander Karpushin, demanding clarification about a Russian statement on the recently reported armed incident in Macedonia.

Macedonian police on 21 April said that gunmen speaking Albanian had stormed a remote border police post near Kosovo and taken four police officers hostage before releasing them.

18-year-old Albanian arrested in Greece wanted to join ISIS

An 18-year-old man arrested trying to cross into Greece illegally from Albania was on his way to Syria to join Islamic State fighters, sources told Kathimerini Thursday.

The teenager was arrested on Wednesday and handed over to Albanian authorities Thursday. They told their Greek counterparts that during questioning he revealed he was attempting join jihadists in Syria.

EU Praises Albania's Integration Progress

"Albania has a clear European perspective and we discussed today the way forward in this process," Mogherini said on Tuesday after a meeting in Brussels with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

"I welcome Prime Minister Rama's firm commitment to the European path of Albania, including the necessary reform work," Mogherini added.

Macedonia Claims Kosovo Albanians Attacked Border Post

Macedonian police on Tuesday said a group of 40 armed and masked gunmen wearing the markings of an Albanian paramilitary unit, the National Liberation Army, NLA, stormed a police outpost near Kosovo at 2.30 am Tuesday.

Police Spokesperson Ivo Kotevski told a press conference in Skopje that a "terrorist attack" had taken place.

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