Albania's Armed Forces have already in their composition a fully-fledged combat-battalion squad, valued according to NATO standards. The certification of the Light Infantry Battalion team was made by experts from the Western Alliance at the end of the one-week "Albanian Lion / Biza 18" exercise, attended by over 1,200 troops and military vehicles.
In her speech, held at the end of the exercise, the Albanian Defense Minister Olta Xhaçka said that the Armed Forces have marked a turning point in their history, ranking equally among the equal."NATO's Light Infantry Battalion Certification and their readiness to combat marks the fulfillment of the most important part of our homework, the obligations of the Objective Package Albania's capacity for the Alliance. So without fear we can onsider this a quality development, a historic event in our relations with NATO," said the Minister Xhaçka.
The Defense Minister said also that the progress is tangible and the ambition will be to fully modernize the FA structures, while commending the military for achievement.
During the "Albanian Lion / Biza 18" Certification Exercise, the Light Infantry Battalion (GBKL) underwent a series of scenarios prepared on the best practices of NATO countries and based on the Alliance's doctrines.