Lieutenant General Hodges: Albania is a quite loyal member of NATO. I'm proud that military personnel are closely cooperating with the US military in various operations.
Deputy Minister of Defence Mr. Petro Koçi held today a meeting with the Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the Commanding General of US Army Europe, during his official visit in our country. During the meeting were discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, but also the security challenges with which NATO member countries are facing today in eastern and southern borders of the Alliance.
Deputy Minister Koçi thanked General Hodges for the support and contribution that United States have given for the transformation and modernization of the Albanian Armed Forces through their direct assistance in providing them with systems and equipment necessary for the creation of operational capacity.
Previously the Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, was welcomed by the ChoD of AAF Major General Jeronim Bazo. After the meeting both generals had a press conference, the content of which is as follows:
Statement of Major General Jeronim Bazo
Good morning!
The communication with you is not only a pleasure but also is an opportunity to inform the public regarding the activities and developments undertaken by Albanian Armed Forces. A greater pleasure is the fact that today here with me is Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, but beyond that, he is also a friend of Albania and an old friend of mine.
Firstly, I would like to thank my friend, General Hodges for visiting Tirana. To the curious ones I would like to inform them that this is not the first visit of General Hodges in Tirana, but at that time as the Commander of NATO Allied Land Command. I believe that this certifies the above-mentioned fact that the general is a friend of Albania. Visits like this are always important and become even more important by placing them in the relevant context.
Saying first what is first: I am convinced that we share the same opinion regarding the fact that this was a fruitful meeting, allowing us to share directly assessments, opinions, conclusions and attitudes, related to bilateral cooperation, but also to discuss about the security challenges in our current strategic environment and in particular the challenges that faces our common Alliance.
In the regional context, we brought to the attention of the interlocutor the role it has played and still plays the initiatives such as the "Adriatic Charter" known as A-5, the Chiefs of Defence of the Balkan Countries Initiative, known as B9, the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG), in order to enhance the spirit of cooperation between the countries, as the best way to increase regional security.
I assured General Hodges, that Albania is properly following the developments in the security environment and in particular those eastern borders of the Southern Alliance and that the Armed Forces of Albania, according to their resources, are active in their contributions and measures within the Readiness Action Plan. Also I informed my friend regarding our additional plan related to the implications that may come from Alliance’s southern borders recent development (waves of immigrants).
The cooperation of both, Albania and US, in the military field is a successful real story, very intensive and multidimensional. American Command occupies a special place in this relationship after he is the direct "guardian" of this cooperation. It is impossible for me right now to mention in such a short time everything has been done in those recent years regarding the support of USA and directly the US Command in Europe.
But a warm thank goes to my old friend also for everything his country and the command that he leads have done for Albania and Albanian Armed Forces. I would like to place more emphasis on their support for the transformation and modernization of the Albanian Armed Forces through their direct assistance in providing us with systems and equipment essential for the creation of operational capacity. A long - term dimension on the transformation of the AAF has been and remains the one in the field of education and training of military and civilian personnel. Through IMET program the Office of Military Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence has already enabled decades of education, training and qualification of hundreds of members of the Albanian Armed Forces. I am very glad to confess that I am one of those who have benefited from this program.
With General Hodges, we didn’t discuss only about what we have done till now, but what is more important, what we intend to do and achieve in the future. AAF are in a permanent process of transformation and part of this process is building capacities that ensure the achievement of ambition level in national level but also within the Alliance framework.
In this context, I asked my friend to provide us with their attention; assistance and support of the European Command in some of the most important elements of the capacities that we want to create in order to meet the objectives of the Alliance. Increased maneuvering, protection of personnel and the fire power of the battalion or the creation of intelligence detection capacities and recognition (ISR) for the Second Battalion of Infantry, which is our main obligation for the Alliance, will be the core elements of our cooperation in the future. US Command in Europe through EDA (Excess Defense Articles)
In conclusion I want to emphasize that the Albanian Armed Forces remain committed in achieving the transformation and modernization objectives and assess all kinds of assistance and support coming from the US Command in Europe.
General Hodges, before you take your chair, let me once more thank you for your visit and for the opportunity you gave me to share together our assessments and perspectives in increasing our future cooperation.
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Statement of Lieutenant General Ben Hodges
Thank you General Bazo for giving me the opportunity to visit Albania.
The security environment has totally changed recently in Europe. We have the case of Islamic extremism that is spreading everywhere, in particular from countries originating from Africa, as well as, we have the tragic refugee crisis that is very current and also Russia's invasion and occupation of Crimea that has changed a lot the environment. Consequently, NATO, which is the largest alliance in the world, needed to be adapted to these big changes.
NATO gravity center is the strongest link between all its members.
The main purpose of my visit to Albania was the further strengthening of this strong relationship between Albania and US as NATO member countries. Albania has been a very loyal and neseccery member of NATO, since its accession to this organization. Although a small country, Albania has sent a significant number of military personnel with plenty of experience and high quality. I'm proud that military personnel are closely cooperating with the US military in various operations, including KFOR. I am looking forward to the day I will come back to Albania in September in the framework of another joint exercise, in which will have the participation of Albanian and American servicemen.
The second reason I came to Albania is to offer my support also for the American Ambassador here. US Embassy was established in 1938 something that points the long cooperation between the two countries.
The third reason why I am here is to understand the real challenges and difficulties that AAF are faced with. Another NATO summit will be in July in Warsaw and I believe that the main aim will be to avoid or prevent Russian aggression in the North, but also without forgetting the South.
So once again the main reason why I am here is to get acquainted with the challenges you are facing and how America can provide its assistance in this direction.
Let me conclude by expressing my gratitude to the Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces. I am convinced that the Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff are doing their utmost in order that Albanian military have the best possible equipment that can be available, including training.
I hope that both of them shall emphasize the importance of these resources so that AAF will be well-equipped.
