The tactical air base of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was inaugurated in Ku\u00e7ova, Albania, on March 4.<\/p>\n
Albania\u2019s Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi stated that the base in Ku\u00e7ova would be a strategic point in NATO\u2019s peace defense and operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is expected from the eastern front. And we must be prepared to defend ourselves with the only winning formula at the table: the unity of our forces and defensive capacities,\u201d Peleshi said.<\/p>\n
He also expressed Albania\u2019s readiness, as a NATO member state, to make the port in Durr\u00ebs, Porto Romano, available to the Western military alliance. Peleshi mentioned that together with the \u201cCorridor VIII\u201d, it provides the alliance with the shortest axis for crossing from the shores of the Adriatic Sea to the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that efforts were underway with the alliance to make the new NATO naval base in Porto Romano ready as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that this base is another element of security for the Western Balkans region, \u201cwhich we know well is an area endangered by the threats and neo-imperial ambitions of the Russian Federation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reactivation of this military airport is also part of the revitalization and further qualitative growth of our air force. The two new Blackhawk helicopters as well as the Bayraktar drones are part of an expansion that will continue,\u201d emphasized Rama.<\/p>\n
According to Albania\u2019s President Bajram Begaj, in the global situation, which he described as unstable, the country must be ready to defend itself and contribute to the alliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Ku\u00e7ova base has a defensive and deterrent mission, an important center for NATO operations to address today and tomorrow\u2019s threats,\u201d President Begaj said.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the alliance, as well as the Ministers of Defense of Turkey and Italy, representatives of the US Embassy in Tirana, and Albanian institutions attended the inaugural ceremony.<\/p>\n
NATO representative General Juan Pablo Sanchez De Lara stated during the ceremony that Albania is more prepared than ever to take responsibility for ensuring security and peace.<\/p>\n
US envoy David Wisner considered the base in Ku\u00e7ova \u201ca great achievement for regional security\u201d.<\/p>\n
The inauguration of this base was also welcomed by the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who stated that this NATO base would contribute to increased security in the Western Balkans region.<\/p>\n
Work on the reconstruction of the base in Ku\u00e7ova began in January 2022. NATO has invested approximately 50 million euros, and the Albanian government has invested more than 5 million euros.<\/p>\n
For Albanian authorities, the choice of the Ku\u00e7ova base is linked to the country\u2019s geostrategic position, as well as to the Tirana airport itself, and to the credibility Albania has established within the military alliance.<\/p>\n
The Ku\u00e7ova air base was built in the 1950s.<\/p>\n
A few days before the inauguration, three Bayraktar drones, purchased by Albania from Turkey, were sent to this base.<\/p>\n
At the end of the ceremony, two Black Hawk helicopters, Bayraktar drones, and six Eurofighter F-2000 aircraft flew over the sky of Ku\u00e7ova.<\/p>\n
Albania\u2019s airspace, bordered by Greece to the south and Montenegro to the north, is defended by Italy and Greece.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The tactical air base of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was inaugurated in Ku\u00e7ova, Albania, on March 4. Albania\u2019s Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi stated that the base in Ku\u00e7ova would be a strategic point in NATO\u2019s peace defense and operations. \u201cEverything is expected from the eastern front. And we must be prepared to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":67144,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[270,1544,150,243,151,1057,6216,791,6275,1555,477],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n