Edi Rama

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has criticised the way the European Union is handling the integration process for his own country and that of neighbouring North Macedonia, saying the two countries are being held hostage by the nationalisms of larger EU members.

The European Union office in Tirana has voiced concern about the political impartiality of the new members and chief of Albania's main media regulatory body.

The Special Prosecution said on Tuesday that the mayor of the western city of Lushnja, Fatos Tushe, a member of the ruling Socialist Party, has been arrested alongside five other senior officials on graft charges.

They are accused of abuse of office and "violating the equality of participants in public tenders or auctions", the prosecution said.

Turkey's presidential spokesman on July 2 underlined the importance of peace and stability in Albania for Turkey and the Balkans. 

Stating that Turkey is in cooperation with Albania in the defense industry, İbrahim Kalın told reporters in the Albanian capital of Tirana that, "Peace and stability of Albania is our peace and stability and also the peace and stability of the Balkans."

A screen from Italian police footage showing drug seizures during the operation.

Among those arrested are both current and former Albanian police officers. SPAK described two of the arrested as officers who "at the time when they carried out their illegal activities in 2016 were members of the staff of the [then] Minister of Interior".

Albania is the latest country to join the queue in the region for reliable 4G and 5G networks after Prime Minister Edi Rama signed a memorandum with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brussels on Sunday.

Without explicitly mentioning the Chinese giant, the agreement likely excludes China's Huawei from the competition.

Albanian MPs on Wednesday voted to oust the country's president, Ilir Meta, though the final decision on the issue must go to the Constitutional Court, which will conclude if Meta will be removed from office before his term ends in until 2022.

Some 104 lawmakers in the ruling Socialist-dominated chamber voted for dismissal while seven voted against. Three abstained.

Bulgaria's caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev conferred on Tuesday in Sofia with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is visiting Bulgaria on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Government Information Service said in a press release. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, current issues on the European agenda and Albania's progress towards EU accession.

The Socialists vowed to bring down Meta the moment they secured victory in a parliamentary election on April 25, without even waiting for the new MPs to take their seats in September.

They accuse Meta, a former Socialist prime minister who quit the party 17 years ago, of inciting violence and fomenting political instability with his statements before and during the election.

Bulgaria's caretaker Prime Minister Stefan  Yanev conferred here on Tuesday with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is visiting this country on Tuesday and Wednesday,  the Government Information Service said in a press release.