The U.S. Department of State released its annual report on the state of freedom of religion in the world. This report includes data on the state of freedom of belief in 200 states and territories and documents the violations committed by governments, terrorist groups and individuals.

The freedom of belief in Albania and Kosovo is analyzed in special chapters of this report, which highlight the existence of problems similar to the past.

The report points out that Albania's constitution guarantees religious freedom. It stipulates that there is no official religion, says the state is neutral in matters of trust, recognizes the equality and independence of religious groups and prohibits discrimination on religious grounds.

Although the report speaks with positive notes about religious harmony in Albania and the government's stance on different beliefs, it notes that little progress has been made regarding the return of property to religious institutions.

The government has considered the demands of traditional religious groups regarding the return of confiscated property during the communist regime, however many cases remain unresolved.

The report points out that the Inter-Religious Council, which was supposed to act as a forum for leaders of religious communities where joint concerns would be discussed, was not summoned as it did one year ago.

US embassy officials have continued to promote property dispute resolution, expanded their projects to cultivate religious diversity, and worked with religious communities and non-governmental organizations to discourage violent extremism related to religion and to promote religious tolerance, the State Department reports.

The State Department report also points out that some politicians have continued to criticize the Archbishop of the Orthodox Auto-Cephalous Church of Albania for ties with the Greek government.