Albania's Constitutional Court

Albania's top court gave the green light on Monday to a deal letting Italy build migrant processing centers on Albanian territory, a scheme that has faced criticism from opposition and rights groups.

Albania and Greece have restarted negotiations to delineate maritime borders in the Ionian Sea.

The two countries' foreign ministries said in statements Monday that the first round of talks was held in Tirana in a "constructive and cooperative climate."

Albanian and Greek officials head on Friday to Crete, Greece, for two days of planned talks on past and present disputes dogging often tetchy relations between the two Balkan countries.

The talks will be headed by the Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati and his Greek counterpart Nikolaos Kotzias, each accompanied by a large group of experts and diplomats.

Albania's Constitutional court on Thursday opened the way towards the vetting of around 800 judges and prosecutors in terms of their professional ability, moral integrity, and level of independence from organised crime, corruption, and political officials after dismissing objections to the new "vetting law'.

The Union of Albanian Judges, the largest such organization in Albania, will on Friday issue its standpoint on the controversial vetting law, which is designed to cleanse the justice system of corruption and political influence.

The union led by Judge Gerd Hoxha unites more than 200 of the 364 judges in Albania.

Seven separate lawsuits have been filed with Albania's Constitutional court against a new law that aims to compensate former owners of land confiscated in the communist era, including motions filed by the country's President and Ombusman.

Albania and Greece are going to work together to abolish the technical state of war that has existed between them since World War Two.

Greece passed a law declaring a state of war between the two states after Italian occupation forces in Albania attacked Greece in October 1940.