Albania remains a trustful and worthy ally of NATO and a strategic partner, has said Defense Minister Niko Peleshi during talks with Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks, who is in Tirana for an official visit.
Minister Peleshi noted the fact that Albania immediately responded to the NATO call, and contributed troops within the NATO Advanced Reinforced Presence (EFP), on its eastern border, since 2017. While the Contingent Albanian (EOD) remains committed side by side with the Alliance forces, as part of the multinational battalion group, led by Canada.
During the conversation with his Latvian counterpart, Peleshi also spoke about the events in Afghanistan in which Albania decided to side with the United States.
“Our country supported NATO’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. However, given the recent development, we could not do more than reaffirm our commitment. Albania is ready and has no hesitation to face its share of the burden,” he said, adding that over 600 Afghan citizens have found refuge in Albania so far.
The Albanian Ministry of Defense praises the deployment of the Latvian Armed Forces in the KFOR Mission in Kosovo, as a major contribution to the stability of the Western Balkans.
According to Minister Peleshi, Kosovo’s support for its aspirations towards membership in international organizations, contributing to the strengthening of peace and security, encourages the development of the region and curbs the expansion of the influence of other countries that challenge democracy in the Western Balkans. / argumentum.al
