Defence Minister Nufi hosts European External Action Service delegation, security and defence partnership in focus

Published: Thursday, 07 May 2026 11:17

 

The Defence Minister, Ermal Nufi, today welcomed the Director for Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management at the European External Action Service (EEAS), Cosmin Dobran.

During the meeting, the Security and Defence Partnership was assessed as a practical platform for structured cooperation, with Albania reaffirming its full commitment to continuing this dialogue and achieving concrete results.

Minister Nufi stressed that “Albania remains a reliable partner for European security,” reaffirming the country’s commitment to further deepen and strengthen the strategic partnership between the European Union and NATO. He also underlined that Albania remains fully aligned with the foreign and security policy of the European Union.

The parties also discussed the contribution of the Albanian Armed Forces to peacekeeping missions, highlighting Albania’s active participation in EU crisis management operations and the intention to further increase this contribution.

In this framework, Albania contributes a light infantry company of 125 personnel to the European Union Battlegroup (EUBG-27), part of the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity under Italian leadership. At the same time, the Albanian Armed Forces have increased their presence in the EUFOR ALTHEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the deployment of a platoon.

Furthermore, within the framework of efforts to prevent irregular migratory flows in the Aegean Sea, although the mission operates under NATO command, vessels of the Albanian Coast Guard also support the European Union in addressing irregular and illegal migration, while contributing to maritime security, with the support of the Albanian Ministry of Defence.