In his remarks at the signing ceremony of the agreement, PM Edi Rama while thanking the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that “Erdogan has been essential in this process because we all know when it comes to unmanned aerial vehicles, as drones are known today, it’s not just a matter of having the money to pay for them, it’s also about being able to get through the queue because the queue is too long and on the other hand it’s the fact of being on the right side.”

“We are very proud that, together with Turkey and President Erdogan, we are on the right side, aligned in the largest military alliance, that of NATO, and aligned in a very strategic partnership between us and Turkey. This is a very good day for our cooperation, the armed forces and the defense ministries of the two countries.

This is a relationship that always gets better, it is natural and has been built over the years. Today it is at its best, yet we want to make it better. I am sure that with this agreement we are not only bringing to Albania the highest technology in this field, but we are also introducing a new field of knowledge. This agreement is intended not only to buy the drones, but also to build a bridge between our armed forces and the “Bayraktar” Company, which will deal with training of human resources. We are talking about more than 30 people who will be selected very carefully with the help of the “Bayraktar” company. They will be prepared to take over the operation of the control center, which will be a high-tech facility at the Kuçova air base,” Rama emphasized.
Prime Minister Rama said that “we have signed for the complete package, the first three drones will be ready for any occasion, armed for any occasion. They will also be ready for an activity plan for the good governance of the country, property insurance, law enforcement and civil emergencies. It will help us monitor traffic, chase people declared wanted by the police and supervise the territory and build capacities in the fight against cultivation of narcotics and unauthorized constructions.”

“It is impossible to thank President Erdogan enough, the friend of our nation and the Minister of Defense of Turkey, as this whole operation was not easy. I want to thank the executive director from the bottom of my heart, who has been so gracious and offered us the best terms,” said Rama.
PM said that “the three drones will be armed and ready for any occasion, when and where, I hope it will never happen, but we don’t live in very safe times. They will also be ready for a full range of activities to the benefit of good governance in the country, the rule of law, property insutance in the country, as well as of people who, due to civil emergency situations, may be at risk.”

“The drones will help us monitor traffic, chase wanted persons, they will also serve the police to monitor the territory and achieve the necessary capacities to fight the cultivation of narcotics, to prevent forest fires, illegal constructions, use of properties to the detriment of public property,” said Rama.
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