Despite significant advancements that took place since the establishment of air quality monitoring stations and public information systems in the region’s states, the quality and amount of data have yet to reach satisfactory levels, and the official results need to be much more publicly available and clear. Public pressure remains a crucial factor in improving
Speaking to Exit in a quiet cafe in the capital of Albania, Tirana, Matthew Caruana Galizia explained that four years later, local authorities still have not launched an investigation to establish how a bomb from this small, Balkan state ended up under his mother’s car in Malta. After journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in
At the signing ceremony of the Open Balkan initiative, Prime Minister Edi Rama said it is not attempting to revive Yugoslavia and that Italy, Greece, and Hungary should join the initiative. Open Balkan is an agreement between Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia to facilitate the free movement of people, business, and services throughout the respective
A number of Kosovo Serbs in the country’s north town of Mitrovica have attacked the police during an operation against illegal smuggling, resulting in six police officers injured. On Wednesday, Kosovo police launched an anti-smuggling operation throughout the country. In northern Mitrovica, a town inhabited by a Serb majority, they were attacked with guns and
At the beginning of the pandemic, we estimated that it would probably last for two years. Today, a year and seven months later, I’m wondering if that will be the case with Macedonia. Not because of the lack of mechanisms and means to reach the end, but because of shortcomings in five key factors that
Kosovo Serbs have started removing their barricades at the two border crossings of Jarinje and Brnjak in northern Kosovo. The Serbian military forces and the Kosovo special police unit have also started to leave. This follows an agreement signed between Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday, to resolve temporarily their border dispute over license plates. Among
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has urged those Kosovo Serbs who have blocked two roads leading to border checkpoints to continue their blockade. In a video message posted on his social media, Vučić thanked them for supporting his government, and encouraged them to “show determination and to fight for our country.” “It is terribly important for
Albanian prime minister Edi Rama has supported Kosovo’s right to impose reciprocal measures towards Serbia, and criticized the latter for the alleged “theatrical military maneuvers” at the border with Kosovo. Rama is visiting Kosovo this Monday, while tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have escalated over a tax imposed last week on Serbian-licensed cars entering the
Serbia flew fighter jets near Kosovo border during the weekend, prompting a number of Western diplomats to call “on both sides” to de-escalate the situation. Fighter jets were seen on Saturday and Sunday flying close to NATO helicopters that are monitoring the situation on the ground on the Kosovo side of the border. The threat
Leaders of the Kosovo opposition have given their support to Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his government to uphold the public order and the rule of law in the north of Kosovo. Kurti briefed, on Sunday morning, leaders of the two main opposition parties, Memli Krasniqi (PDK) and Lumir Abdixhiku (LDK) , on the latest