Another hurdle to EU membership: Investigation into Organ-Trafficking reopened

Elina Demai, ALBANIAN TIMES

Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta has confirmed that Albania will cooperate with international institutions on the organ trafficking investigation. The investigation relates to allegations that ethnic Albanian fighters killed and then trafficked the organs of Serbs captured in the 1999 Kosovo conflict. The claims first arose six years ago in the memoirs of former UN chief war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, entitled 'Madame Prosecutor'

Serbian officials say up to 400 Kosovo Serbs vanished during the war, and a number of those may have been subjected to the practice in the alleged "yellow house" in Albania. Carla Del Ponte portrayed the "yellow house" as a building in Albania where organs might have been surgically removed from the victims.
Kosovo and Albania have strongly denied the allegations of organ trafficking.

Based on the evidence and testimonies of more than 130 witnesses collected by Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor, Serbia had requested an investigation to be reopened but this was rejected by officials in Tirana last year. The Council of Europe has since announced that an investigation will be opened and led by a former Swiss prosecutor, Dick Marty.

Albanian authorities believe that the allegations have no foundation and have denied the claims at all times. Outsiders have suggested that to make this issue die, Albania will need to show their cooperation and demonstrate they will work with an independent investigation team. As Albania strives to join the EU, a lack of cooperation could only serve to delay this dream for the people there.

Over aged Albania outclass Northern Irish youngsters

March 03, 2010| Altin Zeqiri, ALBANIAN TIMES

Albania beat Northern Ireland 1 - 0 in a friendly match in Qemal Stafa, Tirana.
All odds were for northern Irish side to win in Tirana but the classy Albanians were unbreakable.

British newspapers predicted 2 - 0 to the Irish side but they were basing the facts of better side in the FIFA world ranking with Northern Ireland ranked at the 39th place whilst Albania on the 96th place.

The only goal of the match for Albanians came on the 28th minute. The 33 year old Ervin Skela on his 60th international cap curls home a magnificent 25-yard free-kick after George McCartney had been hauled back for a challenge on Erion Bogdani. Albania gets the goal their first-half play deserves.

In the second half Stephen Craigan headed against the bar and then fired a shot against a post with Rory Patterson almost scoring from the rebound.

The match was played on a quagmire of a playing surface and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Maik Taylor was called into action on 24 minutes when he tipped over a long-range dipping effort from Skela.

Substitute goalkeeper Tuffey saved a Salahi header, and also a low drive from Bakaj.

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington saw his side outplayed by Albania in the friendly in Tirana.

Albania were well in control and Angolli dragged a shot wide in the 42nd minute with the defence all at sea.

Northern Ireland’s record scorer David Healy was back in the starting line-up but Sammy Clingan was a late withdrawal with a virus and was replaced by Michael O'Connor.

Albania was by far the better side in the 90 minutes and had many chances to double the scoring. A well deserved win for the home side.

Albania: Hidi, Lila, Dallku, Vangjeli, Angolli, Lala, Curri, Bulku, Duro, Skela, Bogdani. Subs: Beqaj, Cana, Kapllani, Hyka, Bakaj, Vila, Salihi.

Northern Ireland: Taylor, Little, McGivern, McCartney, Craigan, O'Connor, McGinn, Davis, Healy, Lafferty, McCann. Subs: Tuffey, Carson, Kirk, Shiels, Patterson, Evans.

Referee: Elir Pilav (Sarajevo)

FIFA World Cup 1966
The first time that Albania competed for a place in the world's elite, for the 1966 World Cup in England, was in a match against Netherlands on 24 May 1964. Drawn in Group 5 with the Dutch were also Northern Ireland and Switzerland. Albania's only point in the qualification round came from a 1–1 draw at home to Northern Ireland in Tirana, which denied Northern Ireland a place in the Finals.

Rank – Team – Pts
1 – Switzerland - 9
2 - Northern Ireland – 8
3 - Netherlands – 6
4 – Albania - 1

Greek crisis enters Albania

March 03, 2010| Elina Demai, ALBANIAN TIMES

Greek economy crisis is entering in Albania. Found unemployed in Greece emigration is returning back home increasing the numbers of unemployed in the live registers in Albania.

The crashed economy in Greece has now entered Albania and if the Greek tourism which employs 500 000 Albanians, doesn’t pick up quickly the number of unemployment in Albania could rise at all time high. Albanian government is taking all the necessary steps to accommodate those returned from Greece in the tourism sector whilst they bring the experience back home but the number entering every day is much higher then Albania can afford at this time in the tourism sector.

Tourism is now contracting at high with the season preparations but how long is the this going to continue is the question!? How many Albanians will come back is what everyone is asking? Will this have an effect on the 8% growth in Albanian economy that was published at the beginning of the year?

No one can answer those questions but what the government is saying that visitors entering Albania is doubling every year, this will create jobs. At the moment sector of tourism alone employs 350 000 and this will increase to 500 000.

The sector of agriculture is the second largest which employs 400 000 Albanians in Greece and this has been hit the hardest. The reason this has been hit the hardest is that Greek banks are low on capital and loans are hard to get hands on. This has caused businesses and factories shutting down and imports/exports crashing at the bottom with no money in their hands to do business. Greek banks are using the money wisely, at least that little that is left! Economist Andrea Papagalis told Albanian Times: If a loan is given in agriculture sector another is needed in the exporting that product to the consumer, there is not enough money for both! either we produce the tomato or transport the tomato!

The Greek government has announced there will be cuts in civil servants' salaries. This is to ease the financial crisis facing the country but will also mean that people will have less money to spend and this will effect every business and hit the economy even worse overall. If a couple is working in the school they will get a cut of about 10% which means 20% less income in the in the family! Well they afford to go on holidays? Will this effect tourism!? We don't have the answer to that but you can guess!

Albanians who have worked in agriculture in Greece returning back home could find it easier to get employment. Albanian banks had a growth even at the year the banking system collapsed worldwide. Albanian bank have plenty of capital for country's businesses and whilst the economy is on the growth is very easily to secure a loan at a low rate. The government has introduced the tax for unused farm land and this should create jobs for those returning from Greece and bring home the experience gained working in agriculture in Greece. The government has also introduced loans at 0% rates used for agriculture and this sector is forecast to double the product from last year.

The government of Albania has taken all the right steps but the number of Albanians working and living in Greece is 1 200 000 and if half of those returned back home Albanian unemployment registers could hit the roof!

Albania is developing and the economy is on rise. Agriculture and tourism are the two sectors on the rise contracting the double from year on year but is that enough. Albania is not well developed country and with half a million on the registers the unemployment could have an effect in the growth forecasted for 2010.




Tourism in Albania is doing all it can to promote the country, millions are being pumped in to make sure that Albania represents itself in every international forum and makes itself competitor to other Mediterranean countries. TV advertisements about “Europe’s Last Secret” and “Mediterranean Love” Albania, are promoting the country in most prestigious TV channels such as BBC, EuroNews and CNN. This will increase the number of visitors entering Albania which is making itself competitor to the neighbouring countries but will this employ everyone returning from Greece? This remain to be seen!


Albanian economy is on a growth of 5-9% year on year and this is not showing a sign of slow down. Albania was not affected in the 2008 bank crisis and it took all the mandatory steps in preventing a crash in the banking sector.

The director of Bank of Albania Adrian Fullani, declared yesterday that from today the currency of the secondary (arm) banks transferring funds outside Albania is open whilst this was stopped in 2008 caused by the unrest in the world markets and banks loosing big in shares.

Banking Crisis:
In the banking sector in Albania 38% is connected to greek banking system as the secondary banks. Whilst Greek economy is at the edge of disaster the luck of those banks in the hands of Athens! Although Tirana bank, subsidiary of Pireus bank had a growth of 6% last year it has seen job cuts in attempt of cost saving plan.

Business Crisis:
Albanian business has seen a slow down in exports to Greece. Businessman Koço Qirjako whose company exports Mermer tiles and stones to Greece has seen a decline by 40% in exports. He says he is looking into different markets to get rid of the storage he has piled up in the warehouse as he doesn’t see the end of the tunnel in the Greek market. Pallets of tiles are stock on my warehouse and there is no more room for storage but I have no choice but stop production and to pay my employees for staying home. I have 6 months worth of exports piled in my warehouses and I have no where to sell it he says. I have been contacting different markets to get rid of my storage as there is no hope in Greek market to pick anytime soon. Times are tough at the moment and the Greek imports in general have dropped by 40%.

Reportage on Albania showed in CNN and BCC:


All eyes on tourism in Albania:
CNN:

CNN:


EuroNews:


BBC:

Where everyone is hundred years old!

March 03, 2010| Erind Kurti, ALBANIAN TIMES

Plyku is a small village in the district of Fier, about three kilometres outside the city of Fier in the south west of Albania. A village first habited just before the 1800 has taken its big name from the long life of its people. The population of the village increased to 10 000 in the last few decades with 2500 houses but most of those now empty because of the immigration and only used as holiday homes in the summer. In the village only old people can be seen! When you first arrive you feel like you are in a different planet! You don’t hear babies crying, you can’t see kids running, no teenagers playing and not a young man standing in the street flirting as can be seen in most villages around. This is a particular one hence the feeling of a different planet!

Albania Press Review - February 22

February 22, 2010 | Erind Kurti, Albanian Times

Headlines of today’s newspapers in Albania:
Here are the top stories in Albania’s main newspapers.


Gazeta Koha Shqiptare:
Macedonia removes Kosova from the map in the school texts. In the texts of the primary school books, Macedonian authorities have removed Kosova as a neighbor by only mentioning Serbia as their neighbor country in the north. “Koha Shqiptare” published that Macedonian authorities in the last two decades has created tensions between Macedonians and the Albanian population in Macedonia which count for 40% of total population.

Gazeta Shekulli:
Talks between the Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialist Party Edi Rama continue with the mediation of the country's president. The talks aim to find common ground and resolve Albania’s political stalemate by the end of the week.

Gazeta 55:
Italian media choose Albania as must visit 2010 place. Italian media has ranked Albania in the first place for the must visit places for Europeans in 2010. It’s rich Archaeology and the cheap prices Albania is at the top of the window in every Italian holiday tour agency.


Gazeta SHQIP:
North of Albania could be hit by floods again. Authorities of the main hydro-central stations have open the gates due to the water being too high caused but the heavy rains in Macedonia and the level of water in the central stations increasing intensively.

Albanian authorities have open the gates of the hydro-central stations of Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejes, which might contribute to more flooding in Shkoder and several villages near the Adriatic Sea.

Gazeta METROPOL:
Diplomatic passports removed from Opposition party. The government has issued a warrant to remove the diplomatic passports from the members of parliament of opposition party if they do not enter the parliament by the end of the week.

Ethnic tensions rise high in Macedonia

February 22, 2010| Altin Zeqiri, ALBANIAN TIMES

SKOPJE, Macedonia —Kosova not mentioned as Macedonia’s neighbor in the school book texts which only mentions Serbia as their neighbor in the north. This has raised tensions among ethnic populations in Macedonia with the Albanian leaders demanding the text be changed and Kosova mentioned as their north neighbor whilst Macedonia has recognised Kosova as independent state.

Ministry of education in Macedonia has removed Kosova from the map in the school books printed in 2009 and the independence of Kosova was recognised in 2008 by Macedonia. In the primary school books, Macedonian authorities have removed Kosova as a neighbor by only mentioning Serbia as their neighbor country in the north. “Albanian Times” has published that Macedonian authorities in the last two decades has created tensions between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians in republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanians count for 40% of the total population in Macedonia and has often been offended by the government.

Tensions have been high between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians since the opening of the University of Tetova in 1994. The university was closed with force by Macedonian armed forces and that led with the unrest in the Albanian and Macedonian communities. University of Tetova however remained open but it was not officially recognized as a state university by the Government of Republic of Macedonia until January, 2004. Currently, the University is chaired by Dr. Agron Reka. Courses and lectures are mostly held in Albanian, but also in Macedonian and English.

The unrest between the two communities has been ongoing since 1995 and the latest offense by the government last month which asked for Albanian language be removed from primary schools has not helped the two major communities in Macedonia move forward.

Last month Macedonian authorities declared that Albanian language be stopped in the primary schools which was seen by Albanian leaders as a move to try and divide the ethnicity in Macedonia. Last year when Macedonia published their encyclopaedia they wrote that the Macedonians were there before Albanians and that Albanians came from the mountains but this was soon corrected and the encyclopaedia was later changed. Now with the latest move not mentioning Kosova as a neighbor has created more tensions between ethnic populations in Macedonia.

Albanian leaders in Macedonia said that if this is not soon changed tensions will rise and could lead to divisions between the ethnic populations. The atmosphere between the two major communities has changed since Macedonian government declared war on ethnic Albanians in 2001 in a hope to cleansing the Albanian population and reduce the rights of education. In the 2001 Macedonian war, Albanian resistance was strong and they took over most of the north part and if it wasn’t for NATO forces based in Kosova mediating at the time, the war would have escalated further in the Balkans.

Albanian Parliament members in Macedonia have said that those tensions are being pushed by nationalists who want only Macedonians in the country and do not want the country to move forward by joining NATO and European Union. Albanian members in the parliament of Macedonia have warned the Macedonian authorities and the ministry of education that those mistakes should not happen. This should be corrected and be distributed to schools so the new generation learns the correct history of Macedonia and not the history written by guerrillas or by people funded to write in the favour of Serbian empire. Times have changed and the country is looking to move forward and join the European Union, improve economy and reduce unemployment a speaker of Albanian Party said. The times where ethnic tensions were high and civil war is long gone, we are looking to move forward and make life easier for Macedonian people said the speaker to Albanian Times.

Last month the government of Macedonia in a statement declared that Albanian language be removed from the primary schools in the cities where the majority of population is Albanian. This was seen as nonsense by Albanian DUI Party leaders who soon replied that Albanian language will not be removed from the primary schools in Albanian inhabited cities, such as Tetova, Dibra...etc where Albanian populations counts for 95%.

For their part, the Albanian claims to equal opportunities and access to mother-tongue education is of vital importance to a community that, with its demographic growth, may eventually achieve majority status in Macedonia. The implications of an ethnic group achieving majority status without having had widespread access to higher education are self-evident and do not bode well for the future of Macedonia.








2001 Macedonian War.


Beginning on January 22, 2001, after an attack by Macedonian security forces carried on Albanian civilians which killed 2 (father and son) and injured a dozen civilians in the center of the city of Tetova which is mostly inhabited by Albanians. The NLA (Albanian “National Liberation Army”) began to carry out attacks on Macedonian security forces, using light weapons. The conflict soon escalated and by the start of March 2001, the NLA had taken effective control of a large swathe of northern and western Macedonia and came within 12 miles of the capital Skopje.

In March 2001, NLA members failed to take the city of Tetova in an open attack, but controlled the hills and mountains between Tetova and Kosova. On May 3, 2001 a Macedonian government counter offensive failed in the Kumanova area. By June 8, the NLA took Aracinova, a village outside of Skopje. On August 16, NATO forces entered Macedonia mediating the two sides which then signed a peace deal ending the open conflict.

Macedonian authorities have to get around the idea that Albanian population in the country is soon becoming a majority and the only way forward is by having the same rights for everyone. Albanians deserve right to learn their mother tongue and so do all the other communities in the country. Albanians counts for 40% of the population where 50% is Macedonian and the other 10% is a mixed of Bulgarian, Serbs, Roma, Bosnian, Rumanians…etc

Unused farm land now to be taxed in Albania

February 20, 2010 | Altin Zeqiri - Albanian Times


The Government of Albania is introducing a tax for fallow land. The message from the government to the farmers is that If the farm land is not used then it can be rented to someone who can make a use of it and if it is not rented then it will be taxed.

Albania Press Review - February 19

Erind Kurti - Albanian Times

Headlines of today’s newspapers in Albania:

Here are the top stories in Albania’s main newspapers.


Gazeta Koha Shqiptare:
Prime minister’s declaration of the privatization of the government assets has been wowed by the parliament. Economy experts criticised the prime minister not to go ahead with the privatization until the world economy picks up again. Assets at this economical situation would be sold for less then what they would be worth in a year time when experts are expecting a growth in economy worldwide.

Gazeta Shekulli:
After a poll done by "Gallup International" 17% of Albania wants to emigrate if the possibility was give and the majority of those prefer Italy as the first choice to emigrate. Greece, USA and England are the other countries chosen by the public to emigrate to. The poll was done in close of the free visa regime for Albania.

Talks between the Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the opposition Socialist Party Edi Rama continue with the mediation of the country's president. The talks aim to find common ground and resolve Albania’s political stalemate.

Gazeta Kohajone:
Albania is the only country in the region with growth in 2009. Albania was the only country with growth in 2008 and 2009. Compared to other Balkan countries, Albania was ranked the highest in Balkans for investments in infrastructure, energy and tourism.

Gazeta 55:
More then half million Albanians have already applied for the biometric passports. Interior ministry invites citizens to apply for the biometric passports whilst this will help speed the process of free visa regime for Albania.

SHQIP:
The Albanian government’s project to begin redistributing arable land for rent to farmers who agree to cultivate the land could create social tensions in rural areas.

METROPOL:
The OSCE declaration on Albania’s parliamentary elections fuels the already heated dispute between the opposition and the government over the poll results.

Albania: 8.9% GDP Increase

Erind Kurti – Albanian Times

International institutions are optimists with the forecasts of strong growth in 2010 for Albanian economy.

Unicredit Banks research team has forecasted an increase of 8.9% GDP for 2010 with an increase in investments in finance and assets. Further in the report shows an increase in the economy overall and Albanian products increasing in exports.

Albania has hit the record in exports of energy this winter with the heavy rains helping it’s hydro-central stations whilst all of its energy comes from the hydro-central stations whilst many companies are investing in energy sector in Albania and talks are still ongoing between companies and government on building nuclear energy stations.


Shkoder, a city in the north of Albania has its plan drawn for the nuclear station being built and waiting for the go-ahead green light whilst another one is on the way in city of Durres which will be used mainly for export to Italy via underwater link between Albania and Italy in the Adriatic Sea.

Albania is a great place for investment and is one of very few places that is not affected by recession and it had a growth of 5% in 2009 and with forecasts of 8% growth in 2010.




Albanian food and drink products have increased in 2009 and will hit a record high in 2010 which is being helped by the new motorway that was build in 2009 linking Albania’s capital Tirana with Prishtina, Kosova.

Albanian food and drink products are now being exported in Kosova and this is helping Albanians on keeping the prices at the same level for the whole season whilst in the previous years a kg of tomatoes in April was a 1€ whilst you could get it for only 5 cents in July and August. With the new motorway a kg of tomatoes is expected at 1€ from start to end of season. With investments in agriculture Albanian food and drink is at rise, fabrics and industries like mushrooms in the outskirts of cities.

I remember a story about a neighbour of mine, this is some 10 years old now, he brought a full lorry with tomatoes from his land in a village in the north to Tirana, early in the morning at the fruit and vegetable market, and he was first in the market at 4 o’clock having driven from the north. After a very hot day in sun, he had only sold two kilos of tomatoes at 15 cents by the time the market was closing at sunset; he had no choice but crashes them in the street and drives on top with the lorry so his efforts and family’s work wouldn’t go for free! He’s had worked the full day with his family in picking, washing, packing, weighting and transporting for 3 hours will only few hours sleep, just to dirty the outskirts of Tirana. He did not live to this day and see his tomatoes being eaten by Kosovar’s but surely the rest of his family will. Villagers like the one in my story do not need to transport their fruits and vegetable to Tirana or in the markets in the main cities, now is the markets and supermarkets coming to the village to pick them up in hope of better prices and deals.


The motorway has helped also the tourism which Albania has put a lot of efforts to increase the number of tourists entering Albania and making it easier for tourists. A 10 euro entry tax to Albania is now stopped and with Tirana’s new main airport and an increase in the main port of Durres has heavily increased the number of tourists entering the country.




With 5 airports on the way in a country that is best known for it’s warm welcome, in the middle of Europe but still the cheapest, Albania has everything to offer, from ski resorts high in the mountains to hot and sunny virgin beaches, from culture and heritage to charm and modern, Albania is surely the country with the road to the boom.


Government is calling to invest whilst is still early and with a promise that in 5 years you can double your money and my guess is, the government is right, yes Albania is the only country where you can get a 2 bedroom apartment under 50 000 Euros.


Most of us remember the easy money when a country went in transition, we all remember how property prices jumped in Bulgaria and Rumania in a matter of weeks, I remember writing a report in November 2006 and looking at the property prices in the Bulgarian market when an apartment was costing 20 000 Euros in November and was sold in February for 60 000. That’s where Albania is now heading.




Forecast report 2010 that was published yesterday by Unicredit group had Albania at the top of the list with 8.9% GDP increase followed China with 8.6% and India 6.7%. With the steps Albania has taken and learning from the mistakes of neighbouring countries, such as Greece, Albania is in the right path to a Balkan superpower.

Jeremic wants talks on status of Kosova

Elina Demai - Albanian Times

Whilst Kosova celebrates the second anniversary of independence, Serbian foreign minister is looking for talks on status!

Serbia is not feeling well on the second anniversary of independence of Kosova. Serbian foreign minister said that he will request new talks in regard to the status of Kosova! In Serbia the independence of Kosova might have not been yet come to reality but the people of Serbia are calling on the government to let go, the world has heard that Kosova is independent country now and it’s best for Serbia to realise the fact and move on recognising the independence of Kosova so they move into the European family and have close ties between the two countries.

European Union leaders have declared that until Serbia recognise Kosova as independent state, Serbian people will not be integrated into the European Union. Serbian economy has hit rock bottom at the moment with its own currency Dinar not keeping up with the euro and all the privatisations on hold Serbia is suffering once again from it’s government. Serbian people are tired of government that does not think of it’s people and a government that has damaged Serbian way of life with the Balkan wars in the 1990’s.

Serbian president Tadic looked positive on the independence of Kosova but this has yet to be made official by the Serbian government. Corruption is high in Serbia and statistics show that it is high in the chain on the government officials. Most official government are holding to the Kosova independence because they are afraid of loosing the chair in the cabinet. When Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia declared it’s independence Serbia was one of the first to recognise, we don’t know why Serbia think this is different with Kosova.

Kosova’s the main official language is Albanian, 95% of the population is Albanian, the world without opening the books, can only ask the question! Why does Serbia want 2 million Albanians in their territory? Or is this with a hope of another cleansing when a new Milosevic gets into the government!? Does this make sense to anyone because I myself find it very hard to believe, in a country where the population is 2 million out of that 97% are Albanian and only 60 000 are Serbs, Bosnians and others belongs to Serbia? That is non sense for anyone? Surely like all I can say here: -

Jeremic, you should have gone to specsavers?

North Albania paralysed from heavy snowfall

Elina Demai - Albanian Times

Heavy snowfall in upper parts and heavy downpour accompanied by hailstorm in the plains, paralysed life in north Albania in the last few days.

Tropoja, Kukes and Peshkopija regions witnessed a heavy snowfall, triggering a punishing cold wave as mercury plunged to below zero degrees Celsius.

Upper parts of the region remained cut off from the rest of the country because of the heavy snowfall and all main and link roads were impassable. The snowfall also knocked out power and telecommunication systems in several parts of the region.

Shkoder and Malesi e Madhe and other districts received heavy rains, turning the weather cold and chilly.

Incessant and heavy snowfall over the last 4 days in the town of Peshkopija received 40 centimetres of snow. Mountainous areas received over a meter of snow, bringing life for the villages in the region to a standstill.

The snowfall began on Wednesday and continued to Sunday in the whole north Albania making life difficult for rural areas from Shkoder to Gjirokaster.

North received rains and heavy snowfall after a long warm weather where the area was flooded just a month ago due to warm temperatures and snow melting in the high mountains. All upper parts of the north district are difficult to pass and need extra care when driving, local authorities urge drivers to use snow chains take extra care.

Over the last three weeks, it was the second time that snow pounded different regions of the district.

The situation is some of the roads in the north:
Qafe Mali-Fierez, Difficult to drive, 40 centimetres of snow.

District of Iballa is blocked. From Shkoder to Dukagjin is passable via Mali i Shoshit with difficulties and using snow chains.

Qafe Mali - Qafe Shllak, is passable with difficulties and using snow chains. Traffic only opened to small cars whilst vans, lorries and other large automobiles are being stopped.

District of Arrnit, is blocked. In direction of Gryke Caj, Bushtrice, Zapod and Lekbibaj, is passable with difficulties and using snow chains.

Fierze - Qafe Mali and Bajram Curri - Krume, is mandatory using snow chains.

Peshkopi - Lure, is still blocked. Connection of Lure is difficult only via Kurbenesh.

Pogradec - Qafe Plloce, is one way traffic. Highway Voskopoje - Lekas, is still blocked.

Librazhd, blocked from snow are villages of Polis and Vilan whilst in district of Rrajce blocked are village of Skenderaj and district of Polis.

The bad weather comes just after a recent flooding in northern Albania where the area is just getting on its feet. Although the recent flooding was mainly caused by the hydro-central station due to the water being too high and the authorities were left with no options but open the gates station. Locals are blaming it all in the government for storing the water until the last minute whilst wanting to make money in exporting the energy to neighbouring countries.

Albanian authorities were obligated to open the gates of the hydro-central stations of Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejes, which contributed to more flooding in Shkodra and several villages near the Adriatic Sea. (Albanian Times - Koha Shqiptare)

Kosova with Biometric passports in 2010

Erind Kurti – Albanian Times

Government of Kosova has declared that in 2010 the authorities will issue biometric passports but an exact date has yet to be confirmed.

In an interview for Albanian Times the adviser of interior ministry of Kosova, Mr Fisnik Rexhepi said that the first biometric passports will be issued in the second half of the year. Mr Rexhepi could not give an exact date when he was asked by Albanian Times, but he said that we are working closely with the local governments on data being gathering to help speed the process.

Legislation was brought forward in the parliament at the end of last year and has yet to be approved and signed Mr Rexhepi said.

Main responsibly lies with interior ministry but there are other procedures and other institutions involved in issuing process.

European commission has a team in place to help Kosovan authorities on the process which will be monitored by the European Union and this will help Kosova moving towards freedom of travel without a visa in the European Union. In the latest studies by the European Union and Kosovan authorities there are around three million ethnic Kosovan in the European Union with the majority in Germany, Switzerland and the Nordic countries. The majority of Kosovan Diaspora hold European passports with the status being issued at the time of Balkan troubles caused by Titto and Milosevic regime who were forcing the population of Kosova out and pushing in Serb citizens into Kosova.

Kosova has made a great progress moving towards European Union in the last few years. Kosovan authorities are keen and have worked hard moving towards free visa regime and the biometric passports are the last step into getting the status of free movement. Kosova government are hoping now with the biometrics passports being issued Kosovan citizens will be traveling to European Union block in the beginning of 2011.

Rudana of Switzerland seeks to invest in Albanian infrastructure, open bank

Rudana Investment Group of Switzerland is interested in investing in Albania's infrastructure, ports, energy and telecommunications, and also plans to open a branch of its investment bank in the Balkan country.

The company has project ideas in infrastructure, especially port construction, aiming to collaborate with Zumax in construction of Vlora port. The port of Durres is the focus of future activity, Director Hany Salem was quoted as saying in a government statement.

Energy is also a field of interest for the group in funding existing or new projects, and establishing a Balkan centre for production of high-resolution earth observation satellites, the statement added.

Albania says it's ready to join EU visa-free regime

Albania meets criteria for non-European Union member states to join the 27-country bloc's visa-free regime, following progress made in recent months, Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said.

“Albania today meets all the criteria set by the European Commission for visa liberalisation and we hope for a positive evaluation soon,” Meta told a news conference during a visit to Slovenia.

“What we have been doing so far grants us that Albania will get a positive evaluation soon, and hopefully Bosnia will get it too,” he added.

European foreign ministers in November agreed that Albania had made major progress and should be considered for official EU candidate status, a key step forward in the Balkan country's membership drive.

Albania to auction 4bn leke of 2YR T-notes Feb.18 at 9.20%

The government is to auction 4 billion leke (28.8 million euros, USD39.2 million) of two-year treasury notes on February 18 at a fixed coupon of 9.20%.

The securities carry a February 22 issue date and mature on February 22, 2012, the Bank of Albania said in a statement.

The yield on the two-year paper was 9.25% at the last auction on January 14.

The central bank (www.bankofalbania.org) auctions two-year government securities monthly and five-year T-notes every three months on behalf of the finance ministry.