Albania

TIRANA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament (EP) strongly supports the opening of accession talks of Albania with the European Union (EU), EP President David Sassoli said here on Monday.

At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Sassoli, who is paying a two-day official visit to Albania, told reporters that the membership process should resume despite the slowdown at the end of last year.

TIRANA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Albania is ready to open accession negotiations with the European Union (EU), European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said here on Thursday at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Varhelyi, who is on his first official visit to Tirana, said that Albania aims to open accession negotiations before the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb scheduled for May this year.

TIRANA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The third regional meeting of the Western Balkans' leaders kicked off here on Saturday with a session, during which steps needed to accelerate regional cooperation were discussed.

The meeting brought together Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, and Zoran Zaev, prime minister of North Macedonia.

The third regional meeting of the Western Balkans' leaders, or the so-called "Mini-Schengen" initiative, followed the previous meetings held in Serbia and North Macedonia.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The search and rescue operation for earthquake survivors in Albania has ended, the prime minister said Saturday, with the death toll at 51 and no more bodies believed to be in the ruins.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said preliminary figures showed more than 1,465 buildings in the capital, Tirana, and about 900 in nearby Durres were seriously damaged in Tuesday’s 6.4-magnitude pre-dawn quake.

About 2,000 people were injured.

DURRES, Albania (AP) — Hopes are fading of finding anyone else alive beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings in Albania two days after a deadly quake struck the country’s Adriatic coast, with the death toll rising after more bodies were pulled from the ruins overnight.

TIRANA, Nov 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rescuers are searching the rubble of buildings in Albania, where a strong earthquake killed 20 people and injured 600 on Tuesday.

The 6.4 magnitude tremor struck 34km north-west of the capital, Tirana, as people slept in their beds during the early hours.

Most of the deaths occurred in the coastal city of Durres and the town of Thumane, close to the epicentre.

Tents have been set up for those left homeless by the disaster.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A strong earthquake shook Albania early Tuesday, killing at least two people, injuring 150 and collapsing buildings.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.4 quake was centered 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the capital, Tirana. It was at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles)

The Defense Ministry said a person in Kurbin, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Tirana, died after jumping from his home to escape shaking from the quake.

TIRANA, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Albanian President Ilir Meta and his visiting counterpart of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski agreed here on Saturday that European Union (EU) integration is the only alternative for the region.

The remarks came as Meta held talks with Pendarovski at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana.

The two presidents held a joint press conference after the meeting with their delegations.

TIRANA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will provide assistance to Albanian people hit by an earthquake through its EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the Albanian Defense Minister Olta Xhacka said here on Saturday.

Xhacka made the declaration at a joint press conference with the EU Delegation Ambassador to Tirana Luigi Soreca and the head of the EU civil protection team Peter Glerum.

Tirana, Sep 21; AFP/GANASHAKTI:  Albania was rattled by its strongest earthquake in decades Saturday, officials said, sending people fleeing into the streets in several cities, damaging buildings and triggering power cuts in the capital.

The epicentre of the shallow 5.6-magnitude quake, was near Durres, less than 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the capital Tirana, according to the US Geological Survey.

Albania's defence ministry said it was the "strongest earthquake in the country in the last 20 to 30 years".