Alice Taylor
EU to fund Albanian agriculture, organic farming, rural development
The EU is set to plough some €112 million into Albanian agricultural and rural development, including sustainability, agritourism, and organic farming, as a part of the IPARD III programme announced on Wednesday. The programme covers 2021 to 2027 and seeks...
Bulgaria and Albania set ground for new gas corridor
A Memorandum of Understanding for the gasification of Albania was signed this week between three companies in the presence of Prime Minister Edi Rama and former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, signalling the start of a new potential natural...
Albania pledges to meet Green Deal organic farming targets by 2030
Albania is confident it can reach the European Green Deal target of 25% of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030 without negatively impacting farmers or consumers during the transition, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Frida Krifca said. Krifca represented Albania at...
Serbia reacts strongly to Kosovo Council of Europe application
Following Kosovo’s submission of an application to the Council of Europe (CoE) on Thursday (12 May), Serbian President Aleksander Vučić called an urgent meeting of the National Security Council for Friday, claiming Pristina has violated a number of agreements.
Thirty-one years after communism, Albanians demand democratic reform
A new report by the Albanian Insitute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) says the electorate wants more democratic progress in the EU candidate country, considered a hybrid, or only partly democratic, regime according to Freedom House.
Albanian inflation strikes citizens, agribusinesses
Prices have continued to rise in Albania, hitting citizens’ wallets hard and putting small agricultural businesses in a perilous position as food and transport register the highest increases. According to INSTAT, inflation reached 6.2% in April, a new record following...
Reporters Without Borders clap back at Albanian prime minister’s denials
Reporters Without Borders has responded to the claims by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that the reports of media violations in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index were “lies” and “fantasy” by debunking his denials. Albania fell 20 places in...
Albanian prime minister claims RSF report is lies, fantasy
Prime Minister Edi Rama has called the Reporters Without Borders’s assessment of press freedom in Albania a “lie” and “fantasy” after the country dropped a staggering 20 places in one year. On Tuesday morning, RSF released its annual World Press...
Albania, BiH are Balkans biggest losers, North Macedonia improves in RSF report
The Western Balkans has consistently struggled with issues relating to the rule of law, media freedom, and upholding human rights. But some progress has been seen in the area of media freedom in 2021, although more needs to be done, according to the recent Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.
Albanian beekeepers cautious over draft law to align with EU acquis
Albania’s beekeeping sector will be regulated as the government has proposed the final draft of a new law that would impact those with just one hive, in an effort to align with the EU acquis. But not all beekeepers are buzzing over the news.
Albania looks at gasification with a €4 billion price tag
Amid the global energy crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, Albania is working to diversify its energy sources, including by introducing gas and wind power, with the former set to cost up to €4 billion to implement.
EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on license plates fails
Kosovo and Serbia have failed to agree on the issue of license plates, an issue that sparked unrest along the border in September 2021, after the deadline expired on Thursday, 21 April.
Albania increased Russian wheat imports since Ukraine war
Albania imported 10,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia in March 2021, following the latter's invasion of Ukraine - an increase of 20% from the first quarter prior to the war, and an increase of 100% on last year's figures.
Albania’s tourism sector braces for fallout of Ukraine war
Labour shortages, rising fuel and food prices, and the Ukrainian war are the triple forces threatening the revival of Albania’s fledgling tourist industry, which accounts for over a quarter of GDP. Over the last few years, Albania has gone from...
Kosovo police attacked with grenade and AK-47 by Serbian border
Two Kosovo police cars were attacked on Friday (15 April) with a hand grenade and an AK-47 near the border checkpoint with Serbia in the north of the country.
Albania could be gas hub of the Balkans with new US deal
Albania could be a key player in Europe’s gas sector as US company Excelerate Energy Inc plans to use it as a way to deliver natural gas and natural gas products to the rest of the region, as the country also looks at increasing interconnectors amid the global energy crisis.
Research finds 6,000 ethnic Albanians wiped from voting lists in Serbia
With just days to the Serbian presidential, parliamentary and partial local elections on Sunday (3 April), more than 6,020 citizens have found themselves removed from voter lists in a move activists and researchers say is because they are ethnic Albanians.
Albanian cities to go car-free one day a month to save fuel
In a bid to battle rising fuel prices and quell disquiet from citizens, the Albanian government has announced that as of 3 April, every city in the country will have a car-free day on the first Sunday of the month.
Western Balkans: Silence over Ukraine’s EU membership bid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s impassioned plea for his besieged country to join the EU as soon as possible has met cautious support across Europe. But the Western Balkans - home to six membership hopefuls - have remained largely silent.
Albanian civil society deny government claims their protests serve Russia
Albanians have been protesting for more than a week over price increases of food, fuel, and energy. The government, however, has called them a national shame and said their protests were serving Russia and the Kremlin - a claim activists have entirely dismissed.
Albanian prime minister says Brussels oppose Putin-favouring cost of living protests
As the sixth consecutive day of nationwide non-partisan protests against high taxes and government corruption took place in Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama has said an official in Brussels told him these protests are in favour of Russia.
Albanian prime minister shames thousands protesting rising prices
Albanians should be ashamed as they are the only NATO member protesting the “consequences of war in Ukraine”, said Prime Minister Edi Rama as nationwide demonstrations continued for the fifth day. Citizens, however, say they are not protesting anything to...
NGOs sound alarm over trafficking of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war
As the number of people fleeing Russia’s war in Ukraine surpasses two million, NGOs on the ground in border regions have sounded the alarm over refugees, overwhelmingly women and children, being trafficked and exploited by criminals.