8-9 November 2017
On the first day of the Defence Ministerial, held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Defence Minister Olta Xhaçka met UK Defence Secretary, Gavin Willliamson, who has recently been appointed to this position. At the bilateral meeting with Xhaçka, Williamson appreciated the development of Albanian - UK bilateral relations and cooperation between the countries.
"We appreciate Albania's contribution to NATO structures and particularly to the British-led Spearhead Force known as Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. Dear Minister, allow me to express my appreciation for your highly considerable contribution, irrespective of the country’s budgetary restrictions", - he said.
The UK Defence Secretary emphasized that the number of joint exercises between the two countries and their level has increased the interaction between allied armies. According to Williamson, the Albanian-British Joint Exercise “Albanian Lion”, planned to take place next year in Albania, is a significant step in this direction. On the other hand, he confirmed the United Kingdom engagement and contribution in line with the framework of EU, NATO and the Allies.
Minister Xhaçka, after congratulating her British counterpart for the new assignment, expressed grateful thanks to Willliamson for the support and involvement of the British Government in the bilateral relations on Defence.
"The education and training of Albanian servicemen in the UK are the main axis of cooperation between us. The growing number of our people in uniform, educated in your institutions, or the re-opening of the UK Defence Attaché Office in Tirana as indicators of the appreciation of Albania's role in the region are steps, that will be followed by other steps in the future”, - stated among other things Minister Xhaçka.
