Albanian defense minister Niko Peleshi and US Ambassador Yuri Kim hosted a conference on Monday over plans to host the upcoming Defender 2023. Minister Peleshi noted that thousands of troops and military vehicles will return to Albania after the successful Defender 21.

“Defender 2021 was an extraordinary story of challenges and successes, not only for the Armed Forces but for the entire Albanian state. Our great experience and commitment are set to bring back [Defender Europe] to Albania. As exercises that go beyond military dimensions, we’ve already started preparations to host Defender 2023 and thousands of our allied forces led by the United States”, declared Peleshi.

US Ambassador Kim hailed “Defender” as a “historic moment” and as “a landmark in Albania’s commitment to regional security and to fulfilling its NATO obligations”, adding that the upcoming drills will serve to take a step further.

“The terms ‘historic’ is thrown around quite a lot but it is really the only word that we can use to describe the exercise that we are about to undertake and that we have undertaken this year. It encompasses an extremely ambitious set of exercises. The fact that we have over 30 countries participating here this week shows that our goal of operating together on the ground, at sea, or in the air is not just advantageous but it is an achievement”, stated Ambassador Kim.

Defender Europe is an annual military drill led by the US aiming to strengthen military cooperation between the US, NATO, and allies.

Defender 21 brought over 28,000 troops from 26 different countries in Albania.