The Defence Minister awarded the “Medal of Gratitude” to US Lieutenant Colonel, Erol Munir

Published: Saturday, 25 June 2022 13:06

The Defence Minister Niko Peleshi awarded the “Medal of Gratitude” to Lieutenant Colonel Erol Munir, in a special ceremony, at the end of his term.
Lt. Col. Munir served in Tirana as Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC).



In his speech, Minister Peleshi praised Lieutenant Colonel Munir work during his tenure in our country and his contribution to the modernization and increase of the capacities of the Albania Armed Forces. A special contribution was made by Lieutenant Colonel Munir during the "Defender 21" exercise as well as in difficult situations such as the Earthquake of 26 November 2019 and the pandemic, which, according to Minister Peleshi, also show the highest level of strategic cooperation with the US.



"We saw thousands of American troops, friends working together alongside the Albanian Armed Forces, giving signals of peace, security and stability to our people. An extraordinary effort has been made by Lt. Col. Erol Munir, in coordinating a large number of projects. Mention here the cooperation for accommodating Afghan refugees in our country and the activation of the Advanced Headquarters of the US Special Forces Command in Albania. The deployment of these headquarters in our country showed a strong proof of our unlimited effort to increase the military capabilities of the countries of our region and to provide continuous assistance to our Armed Forces.", - said Minister Peleshi, by emphasizing the gratitude and appreciation for the ally and strategic partner, the United States of America for its unstinting support throughout these years.



On his part, Lieutenant Colonel Munir thanked the Minister for his consideration and the Armed Forces for the excellent cooperation over the years, adding that he is leaving Albania with the highest impressions and considerations.