Mr. Gjergji Methoxha

Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Albania
2024 -

Gjergji Methoxha was born in Poliçan, on 26 November 1981. He holds a postgraduate degree in International Relations, from the University of Padua, Italy (2000-2005). He attended the Royal College of Defense Studies Global Security Program 2023, in the United Kingdom and earned a Master of Arts in “International Security and Strategy” from the King’s College London, 2022-2023; He has also attended different important programmes mainly in the defence and security area.

Some of his qualifications include: Senior International Defense Resources Management Course, Naval Postgraduate Studies, Monterey, California, USA, August 2021; International Visitors Leadership Program, US State Department, October-November 2021 (online mode); EU CSDP Course, Brussels, Belgium, September 2016; Senior Course on Security and Defense Studies, Albania 2015; Advanced Security Studies, George Marshall Centre, Garmisch-Partenkichen, Germnay, 2008.

Mr. Methoxha has held various important positions in the Ministry of Defence of Albania. He started his career as a desk officer for Euro-Atlantic Integration from 2006 to 2009. During the period 2009 - 2014 Mr. Methoxha was assigned as Defence Policy Counsellor, in the Albanian Permanent Delegation to NATO, in Brussels, Belgium. In the period 2014-2018 he was the Head of NATO Policy Section, in NATO and EU Policy Directorate and from 2018 to 2023 he led the NATO and EU Policy Directorate.

In October 2023 Mr. Methoxha was promoted to Director General of Directorate General for Defence Policy. The Directorate General that he leads covers a wide range of duties such as the planning, coordination, implementation and cooperation in the defence and security area in the framework of NATO, EU, bilateral and multilateral relations, regional initiatives, as well as of international organizations. The directorate is also responsible for the organizing high level meetings and activities of the MoD and General Staff.

Since August 2024, Mr. Methoxha has been appointed to the position of Acting General Secretary of the Ministry of Defense.

Mr. Methoxha has been engaged in many important activities on security and defence policies, manifesting leadership skills to include: Host Nation Coordinator of NATO’s Science and Technology Board Meeting, held in Tirana, Albania, September 2015; Director of SEDM Secretariat during the Albanian chairmanship; Head of the Albanian Delegation during several bilateral and multilateral discussions with NATO staffs and allies on the NATO Defense Planning Process and the Capability Targets Package.

Mr. Methoxha is happily married to Mrs. Irini Shira, legal adviser, and father of 2 boys, Deon 14 years old and Jon 6 years old.

He speaks fluently English and Italian, good Turkish, and French basic.

His hobbies are traveling, sports and hiking.