TIRANA, May 22 /ATA/ President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, assured on Monday that Albania will always protect the values of peace and unity, standing side by side with the USA and NATO.
The President addressed the kickoff of the “Defender Europe 23” exercise, while in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief he encouraged the government to increase even more support for the FA and Albania’s contribution to NATO.
“Two years ago, when we started work on the ‘Defender Europe 2021’ exercise, we knew that the challenge was too great for our country’s capacities. Yet again we managed to show that we know how to responsibly rise to the task and that our little Albania, in fact, punches above its weight,” he said.
The President hailed this exercise which kicks off from Albania for the second time, confirming once again the unwavering support and readiness of our country to always intensify cooperation in the field of defense and security.
According to him, “Defender Europe” was born as an exercise to increase the defense capacities of the Alliance in case of conflict or threat.
“Faced with the unjust Russian aggression in Ukraine, today’s geopolitical reality is completely different from that of two years ago, and the security situation has become much more complex. These changes have significant effects even in our fragile Western Balkan region, where malicious actors who do not share the same values with us, try to expand their influence. Therefore, the importance of this training is today more tangible than ever and its continuum more than necessary,” he said.
Begaj emphasized that Albania is committed to its mission as a stabilizing factor in the Balkans and an exporter of security in the region and beyond.
“It goes without saying, credit for this goes to each one of the men and women in uniform who serve in our Armed Forces and honor the flag of Albania day to day. You are the backbone of our society and gratitude for your commitment and professionalism is never enough,” he added.
According to the Head of State, any investment towards the strengthening of defense capacities is an investment in stability, and an investment to guarantee a more peaceful future for the younger generations, who should never have to face the devastating consequences that conflicts cause.
“The time to take our responsibilities has come and the response must rise to the current challenges,” he added. /m.m/ /gj.m/sm/
