The chief of staff of all NATO countries has gathered for the first time in Tirana, within the Alliance's Military Committee.
Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke at the beginning of the conference, sharing NATO history in 3 stages, assessing the Alliance's contribution even in a difficult time for the region. He said that today Albania is NATO and participates in all missions although with the limited resources of the country.
In the end, the Prime Minister recalled an expression of Mother Theresa, the Albanian saint who said: "Not everyone of us can do great things but we can all do small things with great devotion."Part of Rama speaching:
The first NATO summit in Albania gives this meeting a historical dimension, to the new Minister of Defense of the Republic of Albania as well as to all the Military Forces of Albania is a special honor and certainly a great pleasure to have you here today in our country.
I do not believe there is another case when you have so many friends at home that bring so much security to home.
I have been able to see closely the substantial transformation of NATO that according to Stoltenberg has entered the third age. Two historic summits in Wales, Warsaw. In Brussels, there has been a transformation of the Alliance. The first NATO in 1949 was as alien to the official Albania as well as little by little, year after year a landmark of hope for the Albanian people. The people who had far more guns than freedom and welfare. The second NATO, 1989-2014 was also ours.
Passing its old borders, NATO cut off a wild sweep in Europe. The survival of the population and the freedom that Bosnia and Kosovo enjoy today are the fruit of the second NATO that included in its mission the freedom of peoples living outside its borders.
Albania in NATO marks a milestone in the history of the country that for many years, and decades suffered the consequences of the separation from the developed world, the West. While today, when third NATO toke shape, Albania is NATO itself and has to measure its responsibilities.
We have managed to join NATO at a proportional level. Albania's NATO missions to date have not received any vote against the Albanian Parliament. Our participation in NATO has not been easy for the country's limited resources.
Albania as a country that interacts in many ways with these countries has a responsibility to turn this part of the region into a factor of sustainability. We have achieved a lot in a continuing process.
Mother Teresa would have taken into account the Albanians when she said: "Not everyone in can do great things but we can all do small things with great devotion"./Oculus News