Tirana

TIRANA - Serbian FM Marko Djuric, who is attending an annual meeting of Central European Initiative (CEI) FMs in Tirana, noted that Serbia's presidency over the organisation - which it assumed on Wednesday - would have a significant impact on topics to be discussed within regional frameworks.

A much-anticipated meeting between Fredi Beleri, an MEP from Greece's New Democracy party, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana will not take place, Kathimerini understands.

SKY Express inaugurated a new direct service between Athens and Tirana earlier this month. The flights will take place every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

By the start of December, SKY Express will add new flights to Yerevan, Tbilisi, Istanbul, Prague, Vienna and Amsterdam, bringing the total of international destinations it serves throughout the year to 22. 

Albania's former president Ilir Meta has been detained by police over corruption allegations, his spokesperson and lawyer said on Monday.

Meta's spokesperson Tedi Blushi told a press conference the arrest was "inappropriate" and that it would "be condemned by all patriotic and honest Albanians."

BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Belgrade on Friday, October 25, for meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and PM Milos Vucevic, European Commission deputy spokesperson Arianna Podesta announced.

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday warned the risk of the Russia-Ukraine war spreading is greater than ever, and that the use of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction in the conflict cannot be ruled out.

He made the remarks at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Tirana, Albania, on Thursday to attend the inauguration of the Namazgah Mosque, the largest in the Balkans. 

The mosque, built in Ottoman style with four 35-meter minarets, began construction in 2015. It will also house a cultural center, library, exhibition hall, conference room, "museum of coexistence," and a Quran school.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Sunday his country would transform the Tirana-based Bektashi Muslims, an Islamic Sufi order, into a sovereign state to promote moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

The renovation and expansion projects for Greece’s largest airport, Eleftherios Venizelos, are set to begin in the first quarter of 2025, with early indications showing positive pre-bookings for the 2024/2025 winter season.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis lashed out at Skopje and Tirana on Wednesday, during a meeting with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, in Athens. 

Gerapetritis warned the governments of North Macedonia and Albania that their recent actions are endangering their countries' prospects for European integration.