Latest Edi Rama News
Albanian opposition MPs try to disrupt Parliament to protest a colleague's imprisonment
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian opposition lawmakers on Thursday protested in Parliament, burning effigies and clashing with bodyguards, after one of their colleagues was convicted of slander and imprisoned. The conservative Democrat lawmakers, who had called for a boycott of...
EU, US urge Albania's opposition to end violence and resume dialogue with government
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The European Union and the United States on Tuesday urged Albania's opposition to resume dialogue with the government, saying violence including the disruption of Parliament to protest the imprisonment of a fellow lawmaker doesn't help the country integrate into the...
Premier says Albania will grant sovereignty to Bektashi Muslims in Tirana, similar to the Vatican
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Sunday his country would transform the Tirana-based Bektashi Muslims, an Islamic Sufi order, into a sovereign state to promote moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Speaking at the United Nations, Rama pointed...
Albania's former prime minister Sali Berisha is formally charged with corruption
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Wednesday said he was formally charged with corruption in connection with a property deal, describing the move as politically motivated. In October, prosecutors publicly put him under investigation for allegedly...
Albanians vote for new mayor of ethnic Greek town in a case that has sparked tensions with Athens
QEPARO, Albania (AP) — Albanians in the southwestern town of Himara voted for a new mayor Sunday after their previous choice, a member of the country's ethnic Greek minority, was stripped of his title, convicted and imprisoned on vote-buying charges. He and neighboring Greece have claimed his...
Italy confirms construction delays in Albania will push back opening of migrant processing centers
ROME (AP) — Italian officials confirmed that Italy’s controversial new migrant processing centers in Albania, o riginally scheduled to open Thursday, won’t be operational for several more weeks because of construction delays. Cabinet undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano cited the...
From August, migrants seeking refuge in Italy could be taken to Albania pending asylum decisions
GJADER, Albania (AP) — Migrants rescued at sea while attempting to reach Italy may see themselves transported to Albania beginning next month while their asylum claims are processed, under a controversial deal in which the small Balkan country will host thousands of asylum-seekers on Italy’s...