Albania

Albania

Albania's communist-era airbase gets NATO makeover

The airbase is located 85 kilometres away from the capital Tirana in Kuçova, which used to be called Stalin City during Albania's communist era.

12/04/2022

Albania

Albania could push for solo EU membership bid, says PM Edi Rama

Joint accession talks involving Albania and North Macedonia have been vetoed by Bulgaria.

07/04/2022

Albania

NATO to open Balkan airbase in member state Albania

Renovatory work on the Kuçovë base began in January, as military spending in much of Europe has been rising.

20/03/2022

Albania

Rising prices spark protests in Albania, government to control hike

Already low, the purchasing power of Albanians is likely to be battered due to the destabilisation of markets by the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russian aggression.

12/03/2022

Albania

Tirana renames Russian embassy street 'Free Ukraine'

The decision was unanimously approved by municipal councillors in Tirana.

08/03/2022

Albania

Constitutional court overturns impeachment of Albania's president

The court said the evidence against Meta did not amount to “a grave violation of the constitution.”

17/02/2022

Albania

Court set to rule on the impeachment of Albania's president Ilir Meta

To impeach or not to impeach? Court set to decide president's fate.

01/02/2022

Albania

Protesters clash with police outside Albania's opposition headquarters

Hundreds of protesters stormed the headquarters of Albania's main opposition party amid an internal battle over the party's leadership.

08/01/2022

No Comment

Clashes as protesters enter Albania opposition HQ in Tirana

Albanian police intervened on Saturday to move away hundreds of protesters who broke into the Tirana headquarters of the country’s main opposition party in an internal squabble over the party's leadership.

08/01/2022

Albania

Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia hold talks at Open Balkan Summit

Leaders from Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia met in Tirana to discuss and agree on furthering their Open Balkan initiative to promote political and economic ties.

22/12/2021

Culture news

Evacuated Afghan artists paint mural to say 'Thank you, Albania!'

Albania has sheltered some 2,400 Afghan evacuees in hotels or tourist resorts. Some 150 of them have already left for other countries.

17/12/2021

Albania

Albania's ex-top prosecutor arrested in Italy on corruption charges

Adriatik Llalla was found guilty of hiding money involved in illegally owned properties.

13/12/2021

Albania

Former Albania minister charged over deadly 2008 munitions explosion

Fatmir Mediu has been charged with abuse of power over the blast at a munitions disposal factory in 2008 that killed 26 people.

28/10/2021

Albania

Albania cracks down on migrant arrivals via new Balkan route to the EU

Police data show Albania has seen a rise in arrests for illegal entry this year, as numbers of migrants trying to reach Albania have skyrocketed.

30/09/2021

Albania

Albanian court reopens case against ex-minister over fatal blast

Fatmir Mediu has denied any wrongdoing related to the 2008 deadly explosion at a munitions factory in Gerdec, which killed 26 people.

24/09/2021

Albania

Women dominate top table in Albania’s new government

Twelve of the 17 cabinet members are women, the most in Albania's history, according to PM Edi Rama.

17/09/2021

Albania

Brussels must not invent new conditions for EU membership, says Merkel

The comments came as Merkel was in the Western Balkans meeting heads of government from Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

15/09/2021

No Comment

Albania: first arrivals of afghan refugees

The first group of refugees fleeing the Taliban after their takeover of Kabul have arrived in Albania in the early morning of Friday.

27/08/2021

Albania

Albania repatriates 19 family members of dead ISIS fighters from Syria

A few hundred Albanians joined the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria and most were killed. Since then, their families have been stuck in camps.

01/08/2021

Albania

Ex-Albanian police officer jailed for killing that sparked protests

A former Albanian police officer was given a 10-year sentence for fatally shooting a man during a COVID-19 curfew patrol in December.

14/07/2021

Focus

5 routes that offer a look at Western Balkan history and culture

In partnership with Regional Cooperation Council

Travel back in time to the Bronze Age, the Byzantine period and more on the Crossroads of Civilisations routes in the Western Balkans.

08/07/2021

Albania

Three Albanian police officers arrested in major drug-trafficking bust

Thirty-eight Albanian nationals including a prosecutor, a government department head and three senior police officers have been arrested for drug trafficking, corruption, abuse of post and money laundering.

02/07/2021

Albania

Albanian MPs have just voted to impeach their president

Albanian MPs have voted to impeach President Ilir Meta for allegedly violating the constitution ahead of Albania's April election.

09/06/2021

Cult

The trails in the Western Balkans worth the trek

In partnership with Regional Cooperation Council

The Illyricum Trail combines wine tasting with visiting ancients sites. The Balkan Monumental Trail celebrates abstract and modernist monuments from the second half of the 20th century. Where can these unique cultural routes be found? The Western Balkans.

31/05/2021

Albania

Campaigners continue to fight to keep Europe's last wild river truly wild

The Vjosa is Europe's last wild river. It's home to over 1000 species and full of unique natural diversity. A project to build hydropower dams in this largely untouched river has got locals and campaigners fighting for it to become a protected zone.

31/05/2021

Albania

US sanctions Albanian ex-PM Sali Berisha over corruption

The State Department barred former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha from entering US territory over accusations of "significant corruption."

19/05/2021