Foreign ministers of Albania

Leaders of Albania's two main Socialist and Democratic parties, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Lulzim Basha, marked National Youth Day on December 8 with opposing messages about the state of the country today.

The crisis within Albania's opposition Democratic Party escalated further on Monday evening when a six-hour meeting of its chairmanship produced a new date for a party assembly which is different to one that former leader Sali Berisha is seeking as he challenges to retake the leadership.

The former leader of Albania's opposition Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, on Wednesday claimed he had collected enough signatures to provoke new elections in the party, in a clear challenge to the current leader Lulzim Basha.

After boycotting Albania's parliament for around two years, one of the first initiatives of the opposition when it returned in September, after losing the April 25 elections, was vetting politicians.

Opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha has called for the same vetting procedure to be applied to politicians as to justice officials.

The former leader of Albania's main opposition Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, on Tuesday told supporters in the central town of Kavaja that he intends a return to the helm of the party he left in 2013, in a direct challenge to the current leader, Lulzim Basha.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania, Olta Xhaka, stated after the meeting with the Kosovo Foreign Minister Donika Gerval that Albania and the so-called Kosovo will soon have joint diplomatic missions in Africa and Asia, Reporters reports.

Russia considers the statement of the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on the unification of Albania with Kosovo unacceptable and expects an appropriate reaction from the West on that occasion.
This was stated by the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.

He chose a well-respected professional lawyer and an equally respected scientist, both from civil society, to head his Socialist Party list.

Today, neither of those women is part of parliament. Rama, the so-called "women-promoter" and "gender champion", ditched both of them.

He brought them in and escorted them out. It was all a personal decision done for personal gain.

Moreover, on his priority list is to launch the "Open Balkans" initiative.
Also, his priority is the launch of the "Open Balkans" initiative, i.e. the implementation of the agreement reached on July 29 by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vui, Edi Rama and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev.

Reshuffling the Cards

Montenegrin PM Zdravko Krivokapic and Deputy PM Dritan Abazovic in a police camp training. Photo: Government of Montenegro