Minister Peleshi visits the Air Base in Kuçova: Work on the ground starts this autumn

Published: Tuesday, 02 February 2021 11:35

During a visit in Kuçova’s Air Base, Minister Peleshi announced that the works for the reconstruction of the base would start in October. The Minister was accompanied by Chief of General Staff Major General Bajram Begaj and the XO of the Air Force Colonel Ylli Pulaj.

Minister Peleshi took a closer look to the area where the reconstruction will take place, transforming Kuçova’s Air Base in the only NATO deployable tactical base in the region.

Minister Peleshi described the investment in this base as extremely important for our country and announced that the work will start this year. "It is a very important, if not the most important project of recent years, because, not only does it give us a modernized infrastructure and capacities on the map of our Alliance, but it also increases the strategic weight of our country in the region and beyond. We are all engaged and on time with our calendar, both with the expropriations and with those parts of the works that we are committed to do, from the enclosure of the base, the internal roads, the supply of electricity and water, which are part of our investment. The contribution of the Albanian part goes to about 10% of the total value of the investment in this base, which with the NATO investment will turn into a deployable tactical base. The works are intended to start in the autumn of this year and we are now in the phase of procurement procedures by the NATO Procurement Agency. Contracts with contractors are expected to be signed at the end of March. There are many interested, local and foreign contractors, who will operate to implement the projects. In our calendar plan of works in this base, it is foreseen to start the work in the months of October-November that will last until the end of 2023 "- said Minister Peleshi.

The investment of about 50 million Euros, 5 of which from the state budget, consists in the construction of armaments and fuel depots, armament stations, aircraft parking, maintenance and repair station, fire station, reconstruction of the runway and control tower.