Pirro Vengu, Minister of Defense, presented the draft law “On the organization and functioning of the Reserve Force in the Republic of Albania” to the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights.
In his speech, Minister Vengu emphasized the importance of the adoption of this bill and the goals it aims to achieve. “The recent changes in the security environment, as well as the challenges of the coming years and decades, require our country to maximize the capacities and synergies of the active forces, while developing an integrated reserve force with clear and defined roles and tasks.”
The aim of this draft law is to complete the organization of the reserve military service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania, to maintain the readiness and to increase the defense capabilities for the successful conduct of operations in which this force participates. It also seeks to regulate the rights, obligations and responsibilities of citizens, state institutions and private companies in the recruitment and service of the reserve forces,” said Mr. Vengu.
In addition, the Minister informed the current members of Parliament about the number of reserve forces to be recruited and the cost of forming this component. “This measure supports the high-level goals of the Armed Forces and the Government, as it will enable the creation of a modern reserve force in response to the requirements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, thus increasing the number of this component to 20% of the active force.”
According to the long-term development plan of the Armed Forces, the number of reserve personnel in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania (AFRSH) is planned to be about 2,100, assuming that security and environmental conditions do not require further increases.
The initial activation cost for a total of 2,100 troops is ALL 1,694,704,920, with an additional ALL 926,872,512 for salaries, tactical equipment/fuel, food, training and other operational services.
Earlier, Minister Vengu presented to the National Security Committee the draft law “On ratification of the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on cooperation in defense against natural and other disasters”, stating that “it envisages mutual cooperation in civil defense and reflects a positive spirit in increasing the budget for civil emergencies”.
The 2025 budget includes the procurement of two aircraft for dual civil-military use, as well as the continued development of related capabilities.