TIRANA, Jan 26 /ATA/ – By Gjergji Mima/ The Minister of Defense, Pirro Vengu, told a press conference on Monday that Albania will continue to increase its engagement in international peacekeeping missions of NATO, the European Union, and the United Nations.
Asked by ATA about the political landscape and whether Albania plans to increase the presence of its troops in NATO peacekeeping missions, Vengu said that the country’s international engagement has been steadily increasing.
“International engagement across all missions—whether under NATO, the European Union, or the United Nations—has been on an upward trajectory and will continue to expand. This is also related to NATO’s assessment of the KFOR mission, which has highlighted the need for additional forces. As one of the principal contributors to KFOR, Albania will likewise increase its contribution, specifically this year through the deployment of an air component, while traditionally our engagement has focused on ground forces,” Vengu stated.
The Minister emphasized that the operations of the Albanian Armed Forces are invariably conducted in partnership with countries that are significantly more powerful, within the command and operational structures of which Albanian forces operate—an aspect that, according to him, should be duly taken into consideration.
Vengu further underlined that Albania deploys forces only to missions where it can deliver added value.
“The Armed Forces possess a specialized capability, exemplified by the EOD component in Latvia, as Albania maintains well-established expertise in the dismantling, demining, and neutralization of explosive threats on the battlefield. We will continue to make this capability available to the Alliance,” he stated.
Regarding biological and chemical threats, the Minister noted that new capabilities are being established to respond to them, providing Albania with the ability to contribute to a broader range of NATO missions.
Vengu highlighted that international missions serve both as a diplomatic tool for Albania’s alignment with the EU and NATO and as a valuable training opportunity for recruits, experts, and officers under realistic and sometimes risky conditions.
According to the Minister, engagement in missions provides a dual benefit, and the aim is to increase the frequency of rotations so that as many active personnel as possible have the opportunity to gain exposure, develop specialized skills, and train under real operational conditions.
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