Albania advances EU accession as North Macedonia launches BRT project and regional politics flare

Albania entered the final phase of its EU accession talks on 14 July, hosting the ninth inter‑governmental conference in Brussels where it will close Chapters 25, 26 and 30 on science, education and foreign affairs. Prime Minister Edi Rama affirmed that Albania will not pause its reforms and highlighted the importance of youth participation, while Minister Ferit Hoxha told 150 young activists that this will be the first generation to experience Albania as an EU member.

In Skopje, the city’s fast‑track bus‑rapid‑transit (BRT) project moved from planning to implementation after a coordination meeting with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The initiative, backed by the Macedonian government and the bank, aims to improve public‑transport efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and add new green spaces along the corridor.

Regional political dynamics remained active: a NATO summit in Ankara featured a marginal discussion on Kosovo’s participation, with Macedonia’s defence minister noting that Kosovo’s invitation to side meetings would be evaluated on relevance. Meanwhile, Rama addressed recent protests in Tirana, rejecting accusations of interference in Kosovo and criticizing social‑media algorithms for spreading misinformation.

These developments illustrate a period of significant diplomatic and infrastructural progress in the Western Balkans, with Albania pushing toward EU membership, North Macedonia upgrading urban transport, and ongoing dialogue on Kosovo’s international role.