Albania

European Parliament (EP) officials are acknowledging that mediation aimed at resolving the political stalemate in Albania has failed. After a month of efforts, leaders of left and right wing parties in the EP, Joseph Daul and

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and opposition leader Edi Rama have been invited for fresh consultations with members of the European Parliament as part of efforts to overcome the political stalemate that has plagued the country for almost a year.

EU foreign ministers have expressed their concern over the political situation in Albania, where the ruling and opposition parties have not yet found a solution to the political crisis that began almost one year ago. “It is high time to find a solution to the current crisis on a basis …

Romanian President Traian Basescu urged Albanian authorities on Tuesday (June 8th) to recognise Aromanians as a national minority in Albania. “The Aromanians have proven to be trustworthy Albanian citizens and have

Membership to NATO means more defence spending, local media reported on Monday (June 7th). To meet the criteria to join the Alliance, the government had to double defence spending, from about 9m euros in 2005 to about 19m euros in 2009. The money reportedly was used to modernise the military …

An unofficial deadline set in a meeting in Strasbourg for Albanian political leaders to resolve the country’s political crisis expired on Thursday with no solution in sight. After meeting with EU representatives in Strasbourg two weeks ago, Albania’s main political parties have failed to reach an agreement to overcome the …

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said on Wednesday (June 2nd) he would like to see a solution to the political crisis in Albania before the European Parliament (EP) discusses lifting the visa regime. “I would not like to answer on behalf of other institutions, however the EP respects EC decisions,” …

NATO closed down its office in Tirana on Wednesday (June 2nd), a little more than a year after Albania joined the Alliance in April 2009. In his remarks, President Bamir Topi thanked all peacekeepers serving in missions around the world.

The European Parliament (EP) refused to vote for a resolution on Albania’s EU integration on Tuesday (June 1st), thus jeopardising Tirana’s visa liberalisation process. The country’s ongoing political stalemate drove the decision, the EP explained on its website. Adoption of the document has been postponed until the end of June. …

The end of the NATO mission in Albania will be marked in its capital on Wednesday. The Albanian ambassador in Bulgaria Bujar Skendo describes NATO mission as “necessary for gaining ground for the modern