Tirana

Brussels sought to downplay comments by European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, who lumped the claims by the Cham community in Albania along with other disputes in the negotiations between Tirana and Athens, saying the matter was "blown out of proportion."

Two leaders of Kosovo's Vetevendosje [Self determination] Movement, party chairman Visar Ymeri and one of the founders, Albin Kurti, rallied several hundred supporters in Tirana, Albania, on Tuesday, explaining why they oppose the Kosovo parliament adopting a demarcation deal with Montenegro.

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday received European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc, highlighting the significance of transport projects for the development of Serbia and noting a commitment to establishing cooperation aimed at connecting the entire Western Balkans through a transport network.

A bust representing the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has been installed in the center of Tirana, Albania.

Albanian agency ATA is reporting that the unveiling ceremony was attended by state and religious dignitaries and citizens.

Albania's National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory, IKMT, has been condemned for demolishing seven homes belonging to the Roma community with police assistance in the suburb of Selita, clearing the way for Tirana's new ring road.

From Zagreb to Tirana, Balkan cities are hosting open-air music festivals featuring regional and international stars to ring in the New Year. So, if you won't be in Belgrade for the New Year but still want to party, dress warm and enjoy our list of celebration plans in other major Balkan cities.

Zagreb

The municipality of Tirana is demanding damages from the opposition Democratic Party for damaging state institutions and a bunker in Tuesday's protest.

The municipality said it sought 118,000 euros for damage caused in the different parts of the city during the violent unrest.

Tirana and Skopje have reached an agreement aimed at ending an ongoing dispute over lengthy phytosanitary checks on Albanian fresh produce at the Macedonian border, following intense diplomatic negotiations over the past two days.

The son of the Albanian Macedonian businessman Remzi Hoxha, disappeared 20 years ago after being abducted by four Albanian Secret Service, SHISH, agents, has urged Prime Minister Edi Rama to put those responsible behind bars and help the family find out where his remains are.

The OSCE said on Saturday that the report alleging wrongdoing by 36 Albanian MPs, prepared in October 2014 and leaked last week to the Lapsi.al website, "contained information circulating in the country and was not the official view of the organisation".