In a social media post on Sunday, Koçiu described the event as an opportunity to bring art closer to the community while promoting inclusion, solidarity and equality.

“An opportunity to bring art closer to the community while promoting the values of inclusion, solidarity and equality,” she wrote.

Koçiu stressed that strong communities are built through cooperation and collective engagement.

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TIRANA, June 5 /ATA/ Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj stated on Friday that macroeconomic and fiscal indicators for the first four months of 2026 confirm the continuation of a positive economic growth trajectory, accompanied by higher revenues, improved fiscal administration, increased economic formalisation, and the expansion of economic activity.

At a press conference on macroeconomic and fiscal performance, Malaj underlined that fiscal data indicate a favourable development in the Albanian economy.

“Fiscal indicators confirm the continuation of a positive trend in economic growth, revenue growth, improved fiscal administration, as well as higher economic formalisation and increased economic activity,” the minister said.

Referring to declared business turnover, Malaj said that during the first four months of 2026, a double-digit increase was recorded compared to the same period last year.

“If we compare declared turnover during the first four months of 2026 with the same period in 2025, we see a double-digit increase of 11%. In monetary terms, the increase amounts to 133 billion lek, or around €1.4 billion more in declared turnover than in the first four months of the previous year,” he said.

According to the minister, this growth is mainly supported by three sectors of the economy, with the largest contribution coming from the services sector.

“This growth is supported by three sectors, primarily the services sector, which recorded a higher increase of 24.5%. This in fact reflects the expansion of economic activity in sectors related to tourism, as well as other interconnected sectors,” said Petrit Malaj.

He added that the increase in turnover was also driven by the positive performance of the construction and trade sectors.

“This growth is also followed by the construction sector, which recorded a 13.2% increase, followed further by the trade sector with a 10.4% rise,” the minister said.

Malaj said that the increase in business turnover is the result of a combination of economic and fiscal factors.

“The increase in business turnover is in fact the result of several factors, such as economic growth, further formalisation of the economy, and, on the other hand, an increase in domestic consumption, supported both by the expansion of employment and by rising incomes,” he underlined.

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TIRANA, June 5 /ATA/ The Customs Administration participated in the 31st meeting of the CEFTA Subcommittee on Customs and Rules of Origin, held in Sarajevo, where participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating customs modernization and digital transformation across the region.

During the meeting, participants reviewed progress in implementing the revised PEM Convention and discussed next steps for developing electronic certificates of origin (e-PoC), advancing Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs, and implementing the CEFTA SEED+ project, which aims to strengthen data sharing and cooperation among customs administrations in the region.

The discussions also focused on fully electronic procedures, pre-arrival data processing, risk management, and measures to reduce customs clearance times, with the aim of creating faster, more transparent, and more efficient processes for the business community.

Participants emphasized the importance of digital transformation and the harmonization of customs procedures as key elements for facilitating regional trade and enhancing economic competitiveness.

The Customs Administration reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and accelerating alignment with the standards of the European Union in the field of customs, with a focus on facilitating trade and ensuring the security of the supply chain.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that Albania must navigate a territorial administrative reform which cannot remain confined within the scope of a commission, stressing that the time has come for it to be openly consulted and discussed. He emphasized that the reform must first be discussed with citizens in the territories, given its necessity, while acknowledging that unfounded claims and slanders have already begun to circulate and will likely intensify to put spokes in its wheels. Rama underscored that the reform is indispensable for numerous reasons stressing the need to be clearly communicated to the public.

He further emphasized the importance of electoral reform, underscoring the need for the complete depoliticization of the electoral administration. ‘Whether we wish it or not, we must address the recommendations of the OSCE-ODIHR. Above all, we must ensure the full depoliticization of the electoral administration, as this remains one of the most shameful aspects for a country on track to the European Union accession. Albania may well be the only nation in Europe that still operates with politically appointed electoral commissions,’ the Prime Minister declared.

The Head of Government also stressed the need to strengthen Parliament in terms of technology and cybersecurity. ‘We must enhance the technological capacity of Parliament. Although the recent cyberattack against the institution did not cause damage, cybersecurity must be addressed right away,’ the Prime Minister declared, adding that Albania ranks ninth in the Global Cybersecurity Index thanks to a system it has independently built.

The Prime Minister further announced the establishment of an Ethics Commission, chaired by Lindita Nikolla, which in the coming period will oversee and address internal administrative practices that bear directly on the success of Albania’s negotiations with the European Union. Rama emphasized that these reforms are designed to strengthen transparency, efficiency, and institutional integrity, thereby improving the functioning of Parliament and ensuring broader citizen participation in the decision‑making process.

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In his speech, Rama focused on the agreement signed with one of the world’s largest companies in the military industry for the establishment of the Aviation Academy in Vlora.

“The agreement on establishment of this Academy is a vital move to enhance both civil aviation and our Armed Forces’ Air Force, ensuring a supply of highly skilled personnel to meet the challenges of today.”

“Today, we are facilitating an agreement that will open the door to a contract with LB Systems, one of the global leaders in the defense industry,” said Rama.

At the same time, the Prime Minister remarked, “We are at a historic juncture in the field of defense, a turning point that is unquestionably shaped by the global context, as well as the European context.”

“We learned in the most brutal way that war is not a black-and-white documentary, but a sad reality right on Europe’s doorstep. At the same time, we are going through a process that was unimaginable just a few years ago, as we reassess our approach to defense and the concept of war, in a world where conflicts are not diminishing but are becoming increasingly complex amid the rapid advancement of technology,” said Rama.

“Indeed,” Rama added, “for us, it’s not merely a necessity but an absolute imperative to approach this transformation with a new strategy. This new strategy has already begun to take shape, step by step. A key part of this process is the agreement recently signed with the trusted strategic partners of the Republic of Albania, with friends and steadfast allies of the Albanian people and nation.”

“We are in a process of discussions in several directions, but the core is that we want to revive our defense industry and our military manufacturing industry,” said Rama.

“We are very optimistic, for the sake of truth. We have the right partners and allies who are leaders in this field, not only Israel, but also the United States, other EU countries, and certainly Turkey, which is a strategic ally of ours, and we are working in several directions,” said Rama.

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The implementation of artificial intelligence on e-Albania will introduce a virtual assistant named Diella, a new feature that will be available for use within a few months. The news was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who also shared the first images of the Diella assistant.

Prime Minister Rama revealed that within a few months, citizens will have access to the virtual assistant named Diella, “a digital assistant that has recently been developed in the Artificial Intelligence incubator of AKSHI.”

Prime Minister Rama stated, “In a few months, it will be ready not only to assist you in interacting with the e-Albania platform but also to complete services for you with just one request.”

Users of the e-Albania platform will have the opportunity to ask questions to the virtual assistant, which, using voice and artificial intelligence, will gather the necessary information and provide it to each user based on their requests. /j.p/sm/

President Meta said that Albania supports the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue for the normalization of relations between them, adding that the agreements reached so far should not remain only on paper.

“It is important that all political forces in Kosovo are united around a comprehensive platform in this process,” President Meta said.

The Head of State encouraged close cooperation with strategic partners, who have played a crucial role in Kosovo’s independence and its international recognition.

Also, the Head of State stressed that visa liberalization for the citizens of Kosovo is a necessity, which we wish to happen as soon as possible.

With the relaxation of anti-covid measures and the approach of the tourist season, President Meta encouraged a closer cooperation between Albania and Kosovo, in order to develop tourism in both countries. /a.a/sm/

Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ogerta Manastirliu, published on Tuesday some photos showing the works that are being carried out in this hospital.

“The new hospital of Kukës, with modern operating rooms, emergency room up to the standards and new maternity home will transform the service of healthcare for the residents of northeastern region. There is no time for rest, we need to move ahead with investments for modernization of our hospitals from north to south, to build day in and day out the health system we want,” – Manastirliu said.

The construction of the hospital will go through two phases at a total value of 3 million euros. The first phase included the construction of emergency room, rehabilitation of former emergency room that is converted into a maternity hospital and 3 new operating rooms equipped with all relevant equipment.
The old building of the hospital has not seen any investment since 1947.
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In a press release, the police inform that “the police officers, while performing the service for guarding the Voting Centers, did not find any problem. The handover of Voting Centers has started from 06:00 in the morning of 25.04.2021 in accordance with all legal requirements, together with the relevant minutes issued by the voting commissions. ”

“All polling stations that will serve as Voting Centers, which were guarded by the Police services were handed over in compliance with all the rules by police officers and taken over by the relevant commissions.”
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The minister informed that these days a high flow of persons have showed up at labor offices to claim the unemployment pay.
Another support provided by the govt., he said, is the guarantee facility, enabling all enterprises to receive zero risk loans while the interest rate is covered by the state budget under the second relief package.
The second package of ALL 7 billion has focused on small and large business and those off work benefiting 176 thousand families.
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