Albania

Police established a high-profile presence in the city centre on Friday ahead of the demonstration, which is being seen by the authorities as high-risk and a potential flashpoint for violent confrontation.

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic sent a note of congratulations to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday concerning Albania's success to win the EU candidate status.

Police spokeswoman Alma Katragjini said in a statement that 58-year-old banker Santo was shot at 9.30am local time outside his office in the central Blloku neighborhood of Tirana.  

Katrigjini said that the motive for the murder was unclear; a group of investigators has been assembled to probe it.

Albania has been granted an EU candidate status on Tuesday, during the meeting of EU ministers in Luxembourg.

"Albania congratulations on candidate status just agreed by ministers: acknowledgement of reform efforts, encouragement for more”, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele wrote on Twitter.

The European Union set Albania on the road to membership on Tuesday, agreeing to give the small Balkan state the status of candidate to join in recognition of the government's recent reform efforts.

Albania to become candidate for EU membership

BRUSSELS -- EU foreign ministers have decided to propose that Albania be given candidate status for membership, according to EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule.

Fule posted on his Twitter account to congratulate Albania before the decision was officially announced.

The decision to grant Albania candidate status for membership was announced by the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule on Tuesday.

"Albania congratulations on candidate status just agreed by ministers: acknowledgement of reform efforts, encouragement for more," Fule wrote on Twitter.

Albania and the CEZ Group announced on Tuesday that they had reached an amicable agreement over the renationalisation of the power company, which will see the Tirana authorities paying what has been estimated to be tens of millions of euro in damages.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic criticized Albania on Monday stressing that it did not act appropriately towards Serbia during recent floods.

During the floods that hit countries in the region, Serbia included, there were countries which have not contributed to creation of the spirit of solidarity and unity, Dacic said, adding that one of them was Albania.

A 68-year-old hiker was safely pulled out of a 200-meter ravine during a major rescue operation on Sunday on Mount Tsamanta, near the Greek-Albanian border.