Newsroom 2022 achievements and 2023 objectives, Peleshi: We strengthen cyber security; we increase military members’ salaries
Defense Minister Niko Peleshi, accompanied by the Chief of the General Staff of AAF, Brigadier General Arben Kingji, and the General Director of National Agency for Civil Protection (NACP), Haki Çako, during a press presented the achievements during 2022, as well as the objectives and new projects for 2023 in the field of Defense and Civil Protection.
According to Minister Peleshi, in 2022, work on the construction of the NATO Tactical Air Base in Kuçova began. The minister emphasized that this is NATO's first air base and Albania was not unintentionally chosen. “Albania has a strategic position in the Western Balkans, but it is also a NATO ally, safe, clear in its orientation and has an important role to play in the countries where Albanians live: Kosovo, North Macedonia, and also other countries as well”, - said Peleshi.
Defense Minister stated that during 2022, the first phase of the Ground-Air-Ground (GAG) communication project was completed, and the agreement for increasing the air fleet with unmanned combat aircraft was signed with the Turkish company "Baykar Technologies": “'Bayraktar' drones have quite a reputation, as they have proven to be successful in terms of their military defense capability, but we will also use them for civilian purposes, and we hope not to use them for military ones. Combined with satellite services, they will give us an extraordinary potential, which only needs to be used", - said Peleshi. As for the "Albania 1" and "Albania 2" satellites, Peleshi said that the images provided by them will contribute also in many other elements. "Satellite services can also be commercial in the sense that they may be made available to, for example, agricultural farms, but also to other operators who need accurate satellite imaging", - said Minister Peleshi.
"Satellites provide the information. I assure you that satellites will be an important tool to be used by State Police institutions. When you invest in technology you invest to save. They save time and money. We have a state agency that has done a fantastic job. These two capacities will be an added value, but also saving money for the state budget", - declared Peleshi.
Also, the minister said that "The Armed Forces will have the anti-tank missile system "Javelin" and the anti-aircraft system "Stinger".
Defense Minister underlined the fact that during 2022 the salaries of the military members increased by 30%, emphasizing that the increase will continue during 2023 by 7% for all ranks, while also announcing the implementation of the social package for the military.
Defense Minister Niko Peleshi says that this year a special priority will be given to the Cyber Security. He said during the press release that the Operational Center of the Cyber Domain will be built this year. Minister Peleshi stated that: "2023 will be the year when the Cyber Defense Military Unit will have completed 100% of its human capacities. We are in a recruitment process, we have changed the structure; we tripled the number of capacities in the structure; we have increased the salaries, we have made them flexible, as you know: the state bureaucracy does not allow you to bypass certain salary categories, but for specialists in the field of IT and Cyber Security a special flexible and competitive approach is being applied", - Peleshi underlined.
Special attention during 2023 will also be paid to Civil Emergencies, after the investments made during 2022. Two aircraft and special vehicles for Civil Protection will be added to our country through a 30-million euro loan after the agreement with Italy, according to Minister Peleshi.
The Minister of Defense said that Albania will increase its contribution to missions abroad, while emphasizing the material and political support for Ukraine.
