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Albania is celebrating with various ceremonies and activities the 10th anniversary of NATO membership, while senior officials of Alliance member countries have arrived in Tirana.
The conference entitled "Albania 10 years in NATO - Increased security for the region", organized under the auspices of the Albanian Ministry of Defense, has gathered together ministers of NATO member states, senior military officials and diplomats from different countries .During today's conference, Defense Minister of Albania Olta Xhaçka and her counterpart of northern Macedonia, Radmila Sekerinska, held greetings, focusing on developments in the region and the contribution of both countries for security in the region and beyond.
The Minister Xhacka said that during these 10 years, Albania also helped by its status as a NATO member state has consolidated its role as a pillar of stability in the region.
"NATO is already not only the most successful military alliance of all time, but it is also the longest alliance known in history." We have a profoundly transformational panorama compared to 70 years ago. Western Balkans, due to its geographic position but also because of the legacy of history is the space where new challenges are crossed. Our region is, as it were, in the storm's eye. With Montenegro's membership and resolution of the name issue between North Macedonia and Greece and the opening of the the road to our eastern neighbor, to join NATO, of course we all feel more secure today," said Xhaçka.
The decision to build in Albania, Kuçova, the first air base in the region by NATO, according to Minister Xhacka, is a strong signal of the Alliance's determination to stay in the region and is, according to her, a strategic message. She said it is time for the Alliance to intensify its efforts to stabilize the region.
"The Republic of North Macedonia is not just a neighboring country for us, it is a friendly country and our relations are guided by the principles and the best values that unite us as two countries belonging to Europe," said Defense Minister of Albania.
The Minister of Defense of North Macedonia, Radmila Shekerinska, during her speech said that the stability and security of the Balkans is a Euro-Atlantic agenda.
"We have had a very effective period in terms of membership and preparation talks. The stability and security of the Balkans is a Euro-Atlantic agenda, and this is a clear message that we all share in this region. interested in investing in our regional security, NATO membership opens a new perspective, but comes with new responsibilities and we are prepared to achieve results in relation to them. NATO missions as a future NATO member, we believe that this contribution may be more significant," said Shekerinska.