Albanian parliament

A bill introduced into Albania's parliament by the opposition MP and former minister Majlinda Bregu is expected to stir a stiff debate on freedom of expression in the country.

The draft law aims to put an end to derogatory and offensive comments by users on online portals, holding their administrators accountable for any infringement of the law.

BELGRADE - The Association of Families of the Kidnapped and Murdered in Kosovo and Metohija (KiM) said Friday that it will press charges before the domestic and international courts against the persons responsible for the crimes against Serbs and non-Albanians in KiM before and after 1999.

BELGRADE/TIRANA - Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic is on a two-day visit to Albania as from Tuesday, where she will meet with Albanian President Bujar Nishani, Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama.

This is the first visit by a parliament speaker in the history of relations between the two countries, the Serbian parliament said in a release.

At his trial on Monday in the Albanian Supreme Court, Socialist MP Arben Ndoka apologized for having attacked a fellow MP, maintaining that such actions have occurred in other parliaments.

"I want to apologize to the public although such incidents have happened in parliaments all over Europe and in the Albanian parliament in the past," Ndoka told reporters outside the court.

On Monday and Tuesday, February 23 and 24, Alternate Foreign Minister Nikos Chountis will carry out a visit Tirana, where he will participate in the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) member states being hosted by the Albanian SEECP Chairmanship.

During his stay in the Albanian capital, Chountis will have a series of meetings:

Macedonia's Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki is visiting Albania on Monday as part of intensified contacts between the two Balkan neighbours.

Poposki is scheduled to meet his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati and Prime Minister Edi Rama as well as the head of the foreign affairs committee in Parliament, Arta Dade, the Foreign Ministry in Skopje said in a press release.

GENEVA - Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic and her Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta expect the forthcoming visit of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Belgrade to offer an opportunity for enhancement of cooperation and improvement of relations.

BELGRADE - Serbs in Albania are one of Europe's most endangered minority communities as they have no recognised status of a national minority or the right to receive institutional education and information in their native tongue, and face assimilation and complete extinction as a result, Serbian Renewal Movement MP Aleksandar Cotric warned on Sunday.

BELGRADE - Representatives of Western Balkan parliaments stated on Monday that more efficient draw of foreign investments in the region calls for a better investment climate, harmonisation of fiscal policy, reduction of taxes, countering corruption and better education.