ALBANIA – A COMMITTED AND RELIABLE NATO ALLY
Albania’s accession to NATO on April 1st, 2009, is one of the most important historical achievements, for the country and the entire Albanian nation. Now Albania’s security is inseparably linked to the security of the Allied territory according to the prerogatives of the North Atlantic Treaty. In its 15th anniversary of NATO membership and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance, Albania remains a committed and reliable Ally of the longest-lasting and most powerful Alliance in the world, which today counts 32 member countries.
Recognizing NATO’s critical role in safeguarding Allied territory, Albania stands firm in its commitment to the Alliance’s three core tasks: deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security. This commitment is grounded in a 360-degree approach, adhering to international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Ultimately, Albania remains dedicated to upholding the rules-based international order. Albania actively upholds Alliance unity and the enduring importance of the transatlantic bond, ensuring NATO remains the bedrock of European and transatlantic security for generations to come.
Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, a blatant violation of UN principles and international law, has shattered peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area, exposing the Russian Federation as the most significant and direct threat to Allied security. The challenges we face are not just European, but a complex, global web of interconnected threats. Hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, and intensified propaganda targeting the Alliance’s core values all contribute to this landscape, further compounded by the rising dangers of terrorism and instability in the Middle East and North Africa. These issues fuel mass migration to Europe and exacerbate the threat of violent extremism. Albania has strongly condemned Russia’s unprovoked and illegitimate attack on Ukraine, as a serious violation of International Law and as a very serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Also, Albania is part of NATO’s unwavering resolve to do whatever it takes to secure and protect all allied countries.
In the framework of the Alliance’s efforts to protect and secure the territory of the North-Atlantic Alliance, Albania is and will continue to be fully committed to making its contribution to the NATO framework by making the necessary resources available. Thus, in the essential dimension of Defense and Deterrence, Albania contributes militarily to the largest reinforcement of collective defense since the Cold War, through participation in NATO’s forward Land Forces in Bulgaria and Latvia. Currently, Albanian soldiers serve in NATO’s operations and missions in the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Kosovo. Likewise, Albania contributes to increasing the readiness of allied forces, modernizing the military command structure. At the same time, Albania actively supports NATO’s intensified role in the fight against terrorism, in and around the Euro-Atlantic area.
Furthermore, in light of the obligations arising from collective decision-making in NATO and aimed at meeting security challenges, Albania has given priority to the increase of the defense budget, supporting the necessity and fairer distribution of the financial burden among the allies, in function of the main mission of NATO, which remains the collective defense of the population and territory of the Atlantic Alliance. Albania remains committed to implementing the decisions of the Vilnius Summit to adapt the Alliance to the new security reality, including the adoption of detailed and robust defense plans and the new defense pledge. During the last decade, Albania has increased its defense budget from 1.35% to 1.76% of GDP. This year, this value increased to 2%, of which more than 20% will be spent on modernization and major equipment.
Increased defense investment also serves to upgrade allied forces’ capabilities, further improve readiness, and increase contributions to NATO missions and operations. On March 4, 2024, Albania inaugurated the first NATO tactical airbase in the Western Balkans, marking a significant transformation of Kuçova Airport. This strategic investment, alongside others like the Port of Porto-Romano, strengthens security in the region and beyond. By bolstering NATO’s mobility and operational support, these projects will be instrumental for the Western Balkans and Black Sea regions, which are of strategic importance for the Alliance.
Albania is clear that the new range of threats cannot be faced only with military means, therefore in its dual capacity, as a NATO member country and a candidate country in the EU, it favours the intensification of close NATO-EU cooperation for coping with them. A clear example is Albania’s participation since 2016 in the NATO operation in the Aegean Sea, in support of the EU’s efforts against illegal immigration.
For Albania, active NATO-EU cooperation in the field of security is of great importance in relation to the security of Europe and beyond. The EU is a strategic and essential partner for NATO. The two organizations share most of their membership and have common values, strategic interests and challenges. Their confrontation naturally leads NATO and the EU to cooperate more closely than ever before in dozens of areas, including dealing with hybrid threats. Particularly important for Albania is the cooperation between NATO and the EU regarding security in our region, where this cooperation materializes in different parts of it, such as in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Albania remains a staunch advocate for maintaining NATO’s focus on peace and security in the Western Balkans, a region designated as strategically important by recent summits.
The Alliance’s enlargement with Montenegro (2017), North Macedonia (2020), Finland (2023), and Sweden (2024) exemplifies the success of NATO’s open door policy. This enlargement benefits regional and Euro-Atlantic peace, security, and stability, and helps deterring malicious influences from state and non-state actors.
As a NATO member, Albania, has actively and very constructively supported the intensification of Kosovo’s institutional relations with the Alliance, as part of its support for the Republic of Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and as a contribution to regional peace and stability.
