The multinational exercise "Defender Europe 25" concludes successfully

Published: Monday, 09 June 2025 16:28

The multinational exercise “Defender Europe 25” concluded with a special ceremony, organized on the Day of Distinguished Visitors.

This event was attended by high-ranking personalities from Albania and international partners, including the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji, the US Charge d’Affaires, Ms. Nancy Van Horn, the Deputy Defence Minister Enkelejdi Joti, the Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari, Brigadier General LaPoint, Brigadier General McKinney, as well as commanders of the forces and a member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

The guests watched some of the demonstrations of the troops within the framework of this exercise, which is one of the most important operations for strengthening collective security in the Euro-Atlantic region.
In his welcoming speech, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji highly praised the commitment of the Albanian Armed Forces and the contribution of the allies in the successful realization of the common objectives. He emphasized that the active participation of the Armed Forces, with troops, assets and infrastructure, constitutes a clear indicator of their professionalism and readiness to face the challenges of the contemporary security environment: “This continuous cooperation is a clear evidence of the strategic partnership and mutual commitment to strengthening regional and Euro-Atlantic security. The exercise tested in real time the readiness, interoperability and response capacities of the participating forces, as well as demonstrated our ability to support joint operations in a complex and multidimensional environment”. - said Lieutenant General Kingji.

The exercise took place in several countries, including Albania, Kosovo, Croatia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. A particular focus was on developing capabilities for full-spectrum operations, including force deployment, defense against conventional and unconventional attacks, protection of critical infrastructure, and conducting joint operations in multidimensional environments.

Albanian forces played a key role in leading and implementing training scenarios from the Zall-Herr region, in close cooperation with the Multinational Brigade Headquarters and officers from the US, Kosovo and Croatia. Lieutenant General Kingji particularly thanked the US Forces Europe and Africa Command for choosing our region for the third consecutive year as the host country for this major exercise, describing it as evidence of the strategic partnership between Albania and the US: “‘Defender Europe - 25’ once again confirmed the unwavering commitment of the United States as a strategic ally in strengthening regional and Euro-Atlantic security.” he underlined, adding that: “In the face of hybrid threats and growing regional tensions, our response is clear: joint exercises, operational interoperability and long-term partnership.” - emphasized the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.