Albania

UN Security Council starts debate on Kosovo

NEW YORK, United States — The UN Security Council launched a debate on Monday (March 23rd) on Kosovo and the status of the Serbian minority there. No major progress was reported at the session, where UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented their quarterly report on the …

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Former Albanian defence minister sues general prosecutor

TIRANA, Albania – Former Defence Minister Fatmir Mediu’s lawyers have sued General Prosecutor Ina Rama for allegedly disclosing information from the investigation of the deadly blasts last year in Gerdec, media reported on Monday (March 23rd). Mediu is among 28 officials charged in connection with the March 2008 ammunition depot …

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KOSOVO: Parallel Serb Administration Challenged

MITROVICA – An Albanian group has filed a lawsuit against parallel structures set up to administer ethnic Serbs within Kosovo. Serbia had lost control over Kosovo, which it still claims as its southern district, after the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) bombing in 1999. That followed a period of repression …

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Macedonia ‘Has Too Many Voters’

Macedonia’s voter register has to be revised, political experts argue after international monitors suggested that there seems to be a striking discrepancy between the number of voters and the overall population. “It is impossible for a country of two million to have 1.8 million voters. That has to be addressed,” …

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Lithuania to Reduce Troops in Kosovo

Lithuania will reduce the number of troops it has in Kosovo because of the improved security situation, the country’s Defence Ministry Spokesman Danguole Bickauskiene said on Tuesday. Speaking to French news agency Agence France Presse, AFP, Bickauskiene noted that the withdrawal of troops from Kosovo is affected by the economic …

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Energy Efficiency Gets a Boost in Kosovo

The German Bank for Development is to provide the Procredit Bank in Kosovo with a loan to finance new energy efficiency schemes for the wider population in Kosovo. ″We are sure that this support will contribute to a sustainable utilisation of energy in Kosovo,″ said the vice head of Entwicklungsbank …

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Spanish Minister Denies Government Split On Kosovo

`This has been a decision by the whole government,` Carme Chacon told a news conference. Spain’s defence minister on Monday denied reports of a split within the Socialist government over a decision to pull troops out of Kosovo which has dampened hopes of better ties with the United States. “This …

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EP’s Pack says Albania not ready to join Union

TIRANA, Albania — Doris Pack, head of the European Parliament’s committee for southeast Europe, said on Friday (March 20th) that Albania was not ready for EU accession. “Albania has a long way to go before joining the EU, and it has to continue working to fulfil the EU conditions in …

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KFOR says no word on Spanish troops leaving Kosovo yet

PRISTINA, Kosovo – KFOR troops have not received official information when the Spanish military contingent will leave Kosovo, KFOR spokesman Adriano Graziani said on Saturday (March 21st). Last week, Spanish Defence Minister Carmen Chacon announced Spain would withdraw its troops, though she did not set a firm date. Spain has …

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Albania’s ruling coalition signs pre-election agreement

TIRANA, Albania – The ruling coalition, consisting of the Democratic Party (DP) and the Republican Party (RP), signed a pre-election agreement ahead of the June parliamentary elections Saturday (March 21st). Under the agreement, both parties will commit to focusing all resources and efforts on winning the elections. “I believe this …

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