Military Police Commander, Colonel Shkëlqim Çela, officially takes over, Peleshi: We should undertake more responsibilities as NATO allies

Published: Tuesday, 08 February 2022 15:42

 

Colonel Shkëlqim Çela has officially taken over the position of Military Police Commander. At the ceremony held on this occasion, Defence Minister Niko Peleshi stressed the importance of this structure as part of the Armed Forces.

"The Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania enjoy a high positive reputation in public opinion. In many polls, it comes out first in the rankings, i.e. the most reliable institution for the public. The Armed Forces are a guarantee for national security and therefore due to their function, their great importance, integrity within all structures of the Armed Forces is a key element. So, today, I am glad that we have selected as Military Police (MP) Battalion commander a colonel, who is distinguished among comrades, colleagues for his responsibility toward performance of duty, dedication, integrity with which he has performed all duties previously. This, for us, for me personally, constitutes a guarantee that at the head of the MP command Colonel Shkëlqim Çela as its commander will do his best, will make us proud, of course, and will enhance the work done so far to a higher level”, - said Minister Peleshi.

The Defence Minister also thanked Colonel Jemini, who for almost 6 months led this battalion in the position of Deputy Commander. Mr. Peleshi emphasized the fact that the Armed Forces have taken on important tasks in missions abroad within NATO, such as in Afghanistan, the Aegean, and most recently in the Bechtel Enka refugee camp. Minister Peleshi said that great importance is being given to recruitment in quantity and quality of young people who want to become part of the Armed Forces.

"The activity of the Armed Forces is many times greater, our responsibilities are many times greater, especially in a geopolitical situation that has its complexity, its dynamics and is changing in often not positive ways, in regions that are not far from us and which directly or indirectly affect our region of the Western Balkans. Putting in a broader context the work of each of you, of course respecting the entire chain of command, so starting from the commanders to the lowest soldier is very important. We need to understand the increased responsibility and accountability that each of us in the Armed Forces must demonstrate, in that we are part of the great NATO military alliance. We need a lot of work to hold this position with honor and to deserve it alongside the best and strongest in the political and military sense. We need to invest to raise standards in all our forces, we need to increase capabilities, to meet the objectives." ,- said Minister Peleshi during his speech.

Colonel Shkëlqim Çela has held other very important posts in the Armed Forces, such as that of Chief of Staff in the Support Command.