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Tirana Times

Tirana Times

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Latest coverage from Tirana Times

K’cimi dancing of Tropojë – Gazmend Freitag

by Monika Grill Tirana Times, July 11, 2026 – “K’cimi i Tropoja” – the dance that endured over centuries and kept the Albanian identity alive, has been officially declared part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. “K’cimi i Tropoja” refers to a traditional folk music style from the Tropoja region in the Highlands of Gjakova in northern Albania, which is known for its rich cultural and musical heritage. This style is deeply rooted in the region’s history and is characterized by distinct melodies and rhythms that have been passed down through generations. In honor of this The post K’cimi dancing of Tropojë – Gazmend Freitag appeared first on Tirana Times.

16 hours ago

Diana Gellçi’s Question to Reinier de Graaf: What Would You Say Today?

Tirana Times , July 09, 2026 – Tirana Times is publishing below an open public question addressed by Albanian scholar Diana Gellçi, PhD, an Albanian professor based in the United States, to Dutch architect and writer Reinier de Graaf, following the debate generated by his open letter included in The Albanian Files. The exchange touches on a broader discussion in Albania about architecture, political power, public space, development, and democratic accountability. A Public Question to Reinier de Graaf Dear Professor de Graaf, A year ago, you wrote an open letter to Albania’s Prime Minister. I read it not as a letter The post Diana Gellçi’s Question to Reinier de Graaf: What Would You Say Today? appeared first on Tirana Times.

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NATO’s Ankara Summit: Albania Confirmed, but No Date Set

Tirana Times, July 8, 2026 – NATO’s Ankara Summit, held on July 7 and 8, marked less a moment of new strategic doctrine than a shift from political pledges to implementation. The central message was clear: the Alliance is moving into a phase where defence spending, industrial capacity, support for Ukraine and burden-sharing are no longer declaratory commitments, but measurable obligations. For Albania, however, the summit carried a specific political significance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed after the Ankara meeting that the next NATO summit will be held in Albania. Yet neither the Ankara Summit Declaration nor Rutte’s public remarks The post NATO’s Ankara Summit: Albania Confirmed, but No Date Set appeared first on Tirana Times.

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Publishing Activity

Daily article output trend

Concrete, Cocaine and Corruption: Albania’s Fragile Growth Model

Albania’s Concrete Economy: How Construction Became the Country’s Dominant Growth Model Tirana Times, July 7, 2026 – A booming construction sector has made Albania an outlier in Europe, but behind the cranes and luxury towers lies a deeper story of weak productivity, distorted investment and suspected flows of illicit money. Albania has built one of Europe’s most construction dependent economies, a model that has produced visible growth, a changing urban skyline and record figures in foreign investment, but also growing concerns that the country’s economic expansion is increasingly tied to concrete, corruption and the laundering of money from organized crime. The post Concrete, Cocaine and Corruption: Albania’s Fragile Growth Model appeared first on Tirana Times.

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NATO’s Ankara Summit and Albania’s Uncertain Moment

Tirana Times, July 07, 2026 – The next NATO Summit, where the leaders of Allied member states gather annually, will take place on July 7–8, 2026, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. It will be NATO’s 36th summit and the second hosted by Türkiye, after the Istanbul Summit of 2004. The final declaration has already been negotiated by all 32 Allies, including the United States, which remains the Alliance’s dominant political and military power, and has been approved at ambassadorial level. Heads of state and government are now expected to formally endorse it on July 8. Its core message is The post NATO’s Ankara Summit and Albania’s Uncertain Moment appeared first on Tirana Times.

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A salute to America

By Marco Rubio Two hundred and fifty years ago today, in a brick hall in Philadelphia, our forefathers declared their independence from the most powerful empire on earth. They were not fools. They knew exactly what the words on that parchment would mean. They knew that in that moment, they were convicting themselves of treason in the eyes of their mother country – and that the penalty for treason was death. And so at the bottom of that document, beneath the soaring words about self-evident truths and the rights of man, they wrote one final sentence: “With a firm reliance The post A salute to America appeared first on Tirana Times.

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Saudi Ambassador Meets Head of Albania–Saudi Parliamentary Friendship Group

Tirana Times, July 6,2026 – Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Albania, H.E. Turki bin Ibrahim Al-Madi, received Albanian MP Baldi Çomo, Chairman of the Albania–Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship Group, and Eriol Mile for talks focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation. According to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Tirana, the meeting discussed ways to deepen cooperation and further develop relations in areas of mutual interest. Çomo underlined the importance of strengthening parliamentary and friendly relations between the two countries, highlighting the potential to expand cooperation in the economy, culture, tourism and institutional exchanges. The meeting is part of Ambassador Al-Madi’s The post Saudi Ambassador Meets Head of Albania–Saudi Parliamentary Friendship Group appeared first on Tirana Times.

5 days ago

Tirana Accuses Kremlin of Being Behind Protests?

Russian Embassy rejects the claims as “completely unfounded” and tells Albanian officials not to “look for enemies where they do not exist.” Tirana Times, July 04, 2026 – Albania’s government is increasingly casting the country’s month-long anti-government protests as part of a foreign-backed effort to destabilize the country, with senior ruling party figures now pointing to the Kremlin as one of the forces allegedly standing behind the unrest. The claim marks a new escalation in the political narrative surrounding the protests, which began as a civic revolt against controversial development projects in Sazan and Zvernec but have grown into a The post Tirana Accuses Kremlin of Being Behind Protests? appeared first on Tirana Times.

1 week ago

Anti-Government Protests Escalate in Tirana as Demonstrators Block Parliament

Tirana Times, July 03, 2026 – Albania’s month-long anti-government protest movement entered a more confrontational phase on Thursday, as demonstrators gathered outside Parliament, blocked access points and clashed with police while lawmakers were holding a plenary session inside. The protest, now extending into its second month, has moved beyond its initial opposition to the controversial Zvernec and Sazan development projects and has become a broader civic revolt demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and his government. Protesters outside Parliament chanted against the government, called for the resignation of the prime minister and accused the political majority of protecting The post Anti-Government Protests Escalate in Tirana as Demonstrators Block Parliament appeared first on Tirana Times.

1 week ago

From the Nile to the Balkans

By Dr. Arben Ramkaj Tirana Times, July 3, 2026 – If you sit by the banks of the Nile on a quiet afternoon and allow its serene flow to guide your thoughts, you realize that the water remembers not only the lands it traverses, but also the people who shaped its history. Centuries ago, a young man from the Balkans brought with him the mountain breeze of Albania and the sharp gaze of the sea to rewrite the destiny of this ancient land. Muhammad Ali Pasha did not merely alter the course of Egyptian history; he sowed the seeds of The post From the Nile to the Balkans appeared first on Tirana Times.

1 week ago