Defence Minister of Austria pays an official visit in Albania, Peleshi: Kosova as an integral part of the Western Balkans

Published: Tuesday, 25 April 2023 12:51

Defence Minister Niko Peleshi received in a formal reception the Federal Minister of Defense, Klaudia Tanner. This meeting was of a particular importance as the two ministers discussed defense co-operation and Austria's special contribution to the Western Balkans.
Minister Peleshi assured Minister Tanner of Albania's commitment to implement reforms as well as meet the European Union membership criteria. The recent changes and various reforms in the field of Defense, investment and modernization of the Armed Forces, were part of the discussions.



An important point of the meeting was the signing of the Defense Co-operation Plan, for which at the joint press conference the Albanian Minister of Defense stated that: "Today, we signed the Defense Co-operation Plan for this year, a document that serves as a guide on co-operation, coordination and exchange of experience in the field of civil emergencies, civil- military cooperation, logistics, etc."

Minister Peleshi also highlighted the importance of supporting Kosovo in its aspirations towards membership in international organizations, as an action that contributes to strengthening peace. The Albanian Defence Minister said that: "I requested amicably Minister Tanner, for Austria’s Defence Ministry to follow the contribution and support of the Western Balkans within the framework of international and regional initiatives, including here Kosovo, as a part of the region and as one of the six Western Balkan states, to be thus comprehensive and above all geopolitically correct".


For her part, Austria's Defense Minister, Mrs. Claudia Tanner thanked Minister Peleshi for the hospitality and expressed her country's ample support on the Albania's path towards EU membership. Minister Tanner dwelt on the importance of supporting the Western Balkans, the security challenges Europe and the whole world are facing these days: "The current situation shows once again that supporting our Western Balkan friends towards the European Union is very important. The war in Ukraine teaches us all that we must take care of stability exactly where it is very important, precisely in regions threatened by external conflicts and risks, and in this respect we must make a common contribution to our security and stability policy.", -  Austria's Defense Minister stated.

The two ministers expressed their readiness to further deepening bilateral co-operation, especially through military education and training.