Latest News from Albania
Vučić: "We are signing two protocols"; 6 billion euros on the table VIDEO
First, a panel discussion of leaders will be held, in which Vui, Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spaji, Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, Prime Minister of the Interim Institutions in Pristina Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovaevski will take part.
Tourism minister meets with foreign ambassadors over joint ventures
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni held consecutive meetings with the ambassadors of Switzerland and Albania on Friday.
During her meeting with Swiss Ambassador Stefan Estermann, they discussed the planning of joint actions between the two countries, and jointly promoting sustainability and innovation in tourism.
Athens blocking EU-Tirana defense pact
Athens is standing in the way of an EU-Tirana Defense and Security Agreement over the Albanian government's intransigent stance regarding the incarceration of the ethnic Greek mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri.
The EU is in the process of speeding up the procedures for signing agreements with third countries outside the Union with a view to better defense cooperation.
International Outcry: Mariya Gabriel and 46 Foreign Ministers Condemn North Korea's Missile Export to Russia
Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel, alongside 46 foreign ministers, have collectively denounced the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) export of ballistic missiles to Russia.
Beleri granted leave to attend funeral
Fredi Beleri, the ethnic-Greek elected mayor of Himare, western Albania, was granted a six-hour leave from prison to attend his grandmother's funeral on Sunday.
According to state broadcaster ERT, the funeral was scheduled for Sunday at 2.30 p.m. in Himare.
Athens faces a demanding foreign policy agenda in 2024
Substantial developments are anticipated in foreign policy and defense issues in 2024. Not least among them are the contacts between Greece and Turkey, which will be dominated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara (or Istanbul) in April and on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington in July.
Gov’t spokesman reiterates Greek stance on Beleri case
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has defended Greece's stance on the case of Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek mayor-elect in the southern Albanian town of Himare, who has been in pre-trial detention since May on vote-buying charges.
Letter to Rama: Beleri challenges interim appointment plans
Fredi Beleri, the incarcerated ethnic Greek elected mayor of the Albanian region of Himare, penned a letter to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Sunday. This action followed the resignation of defeated mayor Gjergji Goro, who, having lost to Beleri in the elections, assumed mayoral duties amid his imprisonment.
Fredi Beleri’s opponent resigns
Albanian mayoral candidate Gjergj Goro, who assumed office amid the incarceration of opponent Fredi Beleri in the Albanian region of Himare, reportedly resigned on Saturday.
Beleri, an ethnic Greek, has been incarcerated pending trial since May on vote-buying charges after his arrest on the eve of municipal elections which he won against Socialist candidate Jorgo Goro.
The path of reason
It is preferable, especially for Albania but also for Greece, to address the issue of the elected mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri, bilaterally before it escalates into a EU concern. This proactive approach is essential to prevent any negative impact on the membership prospects of the neighboring country, a goal that Athens has every reason to support.
Albania’s parliament lifts the legal immunity of former prime minister Sali Berisha
Albania's parliament voted Thursday to lift the legal immunity of former prime minister Sali Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party and is accused of corruption.
Tentative step taken in Beleri case
In a move on Thursday that, under certain circumstances, might open the door to a compromise in the case of jailed ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama referred to him as the "elected mayor of Himare" for the first time, even though he backed as correct the ruling by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime in Tirana that denied him permission to attend a
EIB, EBRD, EU support construction of North Macedonia’s rail line
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union announced on Tuesday a 560 million euro ($613.87 million) financing package for North Macedonia to build a railway line to neighboring Bulgaria.
North Macedonia's Osmani: EU Negotiating Framework Shields Against Bulgarian Demands
North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani affirmed that Bulgaria's potential future demands on his country would not disrupt its European Union (EU) accession negotiations, highlighting the EU's framework as a barrier against such issues.
Berlin, Athens, and the Beleri case
As EU leaders meet in Brussels this week, their focus is largely on Ukraine and its ties to the EU. In the buildup to the summit, however, the Western Balkans also caught their attention. This includes the case of Albania and the imprisoned mayor-elect of Himare Fredi Beleri, which has not only caused a rift in Greek-Albanian relations, but also between Athens and Berlin this week.