Prime Minister Edi Rama met in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where they discussed Albania’s important role as a strong ally and the country’s commitment to defense.

“I would like to thank you very much for being such a strong ally. We know that NATO can rely on Albania. And you know that Albania can always rely on NATO,” said Rutte.

He also emphasized that within this year Albania will fulfill its commitment to defense spending up to 2% of GDP and highlighted the importance of developing the defense industrial base.

“We are here to reconfirm everything you said and more. We want to do more. We are launching the revival of the military industry. We are very interested in discussing with you the next steps we can take to make possible the construction of a new military port in Albania, in Porto Romano. Of course, we are also here to talk together about how we can be involved in the European Union’s SAFE program, which in terms of security extends beyond the borders of EU member states,” said Rama.

The meeting took place within the framework of the Sixth Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, where four more chapters were opened in Albania’s EU accession process.