For the first time in the country’s history, Albania will become a part of the United Nation’s Security Council.

As a non-permanent member, Albania will hold a two-year mandate from January to the end of 2023.

January 1, 2022, marks the first day of Albania’s mandate as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, a position it holds for the first time, 66 years after joining the organization.

Foreign minister Olta Xhacka says that this will be an opportunity for Albania to show that “it is a serious actor with stable and trustworthy policies, with a serious contribution in security and peace issues”.

The minister vowed that Albania will use this chance to “advance the case of Kosovo in the recognition and membership process in international organizations as Kosovo has and will be always a sacred cause for Albania”.

In a post shared on social media, the US Embassy in Tirana said it is looking forward cooperate with Albania “to address the most pressing challenges facing our world today”.

On June 11, 2021, the UN Parliamentary Assembly elected Albania as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

The Security Council is the only UN body that can legally impose sanctions and authorize the use of force. The five permanent members are the United States, UK, France, China and Russia, while the other 10 member states have a two-year term.