Tirana

Greece's decision not to agree to a joint letter of the 27 European Union member-states to Albania on the opening of negotiations of the first package of accession chapters constitutes a substantial escalation of the hard stance toward Tirana due to the ongoing violation of the rights of Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek who was jailed just before he was elected mayor of Himare in the neighboring c

Tirana agreed to house up to 3,000 people rescued at sea by Italian boats, with some exceptions for vulnerable groups

The European Commission's progress report on Albania, an EU hopeful, highlights the case of Fredi Beleri, an issue that continues to cause tensions between Athens and Tirana. Beleri has been in detention since May, facing allegations of vote buying, following his election as the mayor of the predominantly ethnic-Greek city of Himare in southern Albania.

TIRANA - Representatives of Western Balkan countries, including Serbian PM Ana Brnabic, signed in Tirana on Tuesday an agreement on mutual recognition of professional qualifications of nurses, veterinary doctors, pharmacists and midwives.

TIRANA - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said in Tirana on Monday she did not know why Albanian PM Edi Rama had called for imposing sanctions against Serbia, and noted the move was not in line with good-neighbourly relations or the Open Balkan initiative.

TIRANA - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said in Tirana on Monday Serbia supported the concept of establishing a common regional market in the Western Balkans.

TIRANA - Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirovic said on Tuesday in Tirana regional cooperation was extremely important to Serbia and that this was indicated by the fact Serbia had seen a 1.7 bln euro trade surplus with countries in the region in the first seven months of this year alone.

The decision by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to invite the president of Albania, Bajram Begaj, tο an informal dinner of Western Balkan leaders in Athens on Monday rather than the neighboring country's premier, Edi Rama, is seen as a reflection of Greece's dismay with Tirana over the ongoing detention of ethnic-Greek Fredi Beleri, who has not been permitted to take office as mayor of Himar

A total of 17 Croatian nationals were apprehended across three different locations in Greece on Tuesday due to their alleged involvement in violent clashes between Greek and Croatian soccer supporters on Monday night, as reported by the Hellenic Police.

TIRANA - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic attended an informal meeting of Western Balkan leaders in Tirana on Monday.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Brnabic said initiatives as part of Open Balkan and a Berlin Process summit to be hosted by Albania had been discussed at the meeting.