Defense ministers from member and observer governments of the United Governments-Adriatic Charter (A-5) met in Tirana to discuss key defense and security issues in the Western Balkans and beyond.
Pirro Vengu, Albania’s Minister of Defense, co-chaired the ministerial, which also included Ms. Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from the United States.
Minister Vengu thanked Ms. Wallander for the invaluable U.S. contributions to Albania’s political, defense, and security growth, as well as its role in the Western Balkans region.
At the conclusion of the ministerial, Minister Vengu noted the key issues discussed: “We addressed the complexities of the strategic security environment in Europe, especially in the Western Balkans. We reaffirmed the importance of the Adriatic Charter and the indispensable role of the United States in the region,” he said during the joint statement.
The discussion also included the recent attack in northern Kosovo: “We addressed numerous hybrid threats and challenges, with a particular focus on the recent criminal attack in Zubin Potok, which targeted Kosovo’s key infrastructure.” We expressed our solidarity with Kosovo, condemned this dangerous attack on regional stability, and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice,” added Minister Vengu.
The Cabinet also discussed the revival of the Adriatic Charter in response to changing geopolitical conditions. Minister Vengu reaffirmed Albania’s commitment to the Open Door Policy, emphasizing Kosovo’s membership as a top priority. He also highlighted Albania’s proactive engagement with NATO, including contributions to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in Southeastern Europe, training and assistance operations for Ukrainian forces, NATO’s mission in Iraq, and EU security efforts such as Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The discussion focused on the expansion of defense capabilities in line with NATO’s defense planning process, as well as Albania’s investments in military industries, infrastructure networks, and interoperability between the armed forces. Minister Vengu noted that these initiatives will significantly strengthen national resilience and collective defense in the Euro-Atlantic region.
With the conclusion of this ministerial meeting, Albania has fulfilled its commitments to this initiative until 2024.
Albania hosted several high-level politico-military events in 2024, including the Balkan CHODs, SEDM, and US-A5 ministerial, establishing itself as a regional hub for security and defense cooperation.