Starting from this Monday until June 23rd, Albania will host the military training “Defender Europe 2023”.
In the opening ceremony held in the “Mother Tereza” square, officials such as Prime Minister Edi Rama, President Bajram Begaj and U.S. Ambassador to Tirana Yuri Kim were present.
Speaking at the ceremony, PM Rama declared that the training shows that Albania remains a strong and trustworthy partner of the United States and NATO.
“This training reminds us that regardless of the language we speak, of the flags we wave, we are inextricably linked to those values and principles that are equally threatened for each of us. All together we are bound by history and our future to function in complete unity. Albania remains a strong and trustworthy ally of the U.S. and NATO, but we are also becoming a stationary point of reference in our own continent. With the airport of Kuçova, which will function as the new NATO operational base and the port, which will function as an operational base for the naval forces, a new page of our history is being written and in this new page, we are not only consumers but also contributors to this great alliance.”
President Begaj also welcomed the start of the military training, expressing pride to have once been part of the Albanian Armed Forces.
“With the unfair Russian aggression in Ukraine, the geopolitical reality of today is vastly different to that of two years ago when we started working on the ‘Defender Europe 2021’ training. These changes have had notable effects even in our fragile region, where malevolent forces that do not share the same values with us, try to broaden their influence. This is why the importance of this training is more tangible than ever. Albania is committed in its mission as a stabilizing factor in the region and beyond. Of course, all credits go to every man and woman in uniform serving our Armed Forces. You are a very important pillar of our society and words cannot express the gratefulness for your commitment and professionalism. I am proud to have been one of you and in my position as General Commander I encourage the government to increase the support for the Armed Forces and Albania’s contribution to NATO.”
Meanwhile, ambassador Yuri Kim stated that the training demonstrates that the United States and its allies can accomplish any mission, citing words from the Albanian national hero, Skanderbeg.
“In the two years since ‘Defender Europe 21’, the world has changed. Albania and our NATO allies are more united and stronger than ever. I cannot help but remember Skanderbeg’s words, that unity makes power. Since ‘Defender 21’, Albania and the U.S. are doing more together than ever before. We established the first two U.S. military presences in the history of Albania. ‘Defender 23’ will show us that together with allies and partners we can accomplish any mission. We are proud to call Albania an ally and friend.”
Some 7,000 American troops and 17,000 troops from 26 allied and partner countries will participate in this exercise, that will cover ten different European countries. As part of the exercise, about 7,000 pieces of equipment were sent from the U.S. to Europe.
“Defender Europe 2023” is designed to demonstrate the ability of the U.S. military to rapidly deploy troops and reliable combat equipment to reassure allies, deter those who would threaten the peace of Europe and defend the continent from aggression.
