Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja said that, “Excavations in 2022 revealed ancient Durrës fortification parts, wells, and Roman aqueduct remnants, showing centuries of city growth. The National Institute of Cultural Heritage funded this project to protect these historic ruins and blend them into the modern city for all to enjoy.

This discovery emerged during excavations at the “Eftali Koçi” school site, which was slated for complete reconstruction following earthquake damage. Dating back to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, the find sheds new light on the area’s ancient history. /k.s/r.e/a.f/p.s./

On 14 October 2024, everything for Albania was red. Not a single chapter had been opened.

Eleven months later, on 17 November 2025, everything turned yellow. All 33 chapters were opened.

Following the 8th Intergovernmental Conference on the IBAR held yesterday, the biggest test so far in our accelerated accession process, the colors are beginning to change once again. They will soon start turning green, the final stage, before ultimately turning “blue” by 2030, he wrote further on.

We know this well: Albania’s path to EU membership is only credible when it is earned, merit-based, grounded in real transformation, and driven by a truly European mindset. That is exactly what we are doing.

What once seemed distant, inaccessible, or even impossible to many is now becoming reality: step by step, reform by reform, commitment by commitment, every single day, together with our partners.

FM Hoxha concluded his post by expressing grateful thanks to everyone in Team Europe Albania;

Thank you to Commissioner Marta Kos and to our colleagues in the European Commission for their remarkable dedication;

Thank you to the current Presidency, Cyprus 2026 EU, for its true commitment and leadership;

And thank you to all Member States for their understanding, support, and partnership, demanding precisely because it has been sincere.

We will not stop until the job is done, because for Albania, this is our path to our future and all roads lead to Brussels.

The discovery was made during recent excavations at the Amantia Archaeological Park, near the coastal city of Vlorë.

According to Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, the find sheds new light on the urban and public organization of the Illyrian settlement.

“This is an entirely new element for archaeologists,” Gonxhja wrote in a social media post, noting that the wall likely remained in use until the 6th century CE, when it was destroyed.

In addition to the wall, the archaeological team has conducted urgent restoration work on monumental tombs and other vulnerable structures within the park, aiming to protect them from environmental damage such as frost and rainfall.

The new findings and conservation efforts are part of a broader initiative to enhance the archaeological landscape of the Amantia site – once a key center of Illyrian civilization – and to preserve it for both scholarly research and public tourism.

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Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Shkodra said that there was an Albanian-French research project led by archaeologists Etleva Nallbani and Elvana Metalla.

The purpose of the project is to document the structures of the medieval city and explore an upper city.

The project has been a cooperation with Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Shkodra and has been going on for years with a focus on the medieval residents of the area, the funeral practice and the interregional exchanges.

In context of the research, there was carried out even the cleaning of the territory from the dense vegetation.

The archaeological researches are being held in context of the project: Drini Valley in Medieval Times”, which is realized by École française de Rome, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, Ministère de l’Europe et des affaires étrangères, INRAP, Institute of Archaeology, in cooperation with the University of Tirana and Shkodra Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage. /a.f//r.e/p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared today in the social media footage from the clearing up of urban spaces in Tirana. The head of government emphasized that the clearing up of these spaces paves the way for Urban Renaissance 2.0.

“Here is a great “Chinese” wall that tore down today, paving the way to Urban Revival 2.0 for this community trapped behind the “wall” – and even releasing the trees inside the premises,” Rama wrote in the post in the social media.

The clearing up of public spaces is seen as part of the government’s vision “Urban Revival 2.0”.

In this context, Rama announced that there is being drafted a National Regulation in which will be legally defined the spaces that businesses can use.

The clearing up of public spaces is necessary to improve the quality of services, but also the functionality of every business and enterprise in accordance with national standards of hospitality and service not only in tourist areas, but in every corner of Albania.

The action began in early July and will continue to be on focus of local and central government in protecting the quality of life in the community. /gj.m//a.f/p.s./