Albania is set to reach the target of spending 2% of the GDP on defence, as required by NATO, by 2024, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama, who spoke ahead of the alliance’s Vilnius Summit set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The country has been a member of NATO since 2009, and it is in the process of transforming a former communist-era military base into a modern NATO airbase station for the Western Balkans. It has also pitched and is believed to be in talks to build a NATO naval base on its Adriatic coast.
Rama said that NATO spending accounts for 1.76% of the GDP, an increase from 1.35% over the last decade. NATO members must spend at least 2% of the GDP on defence, with the average among member states at 1.9% as of 2023.
“In the last decade, Albania has increased defence spending from 1.35% to 1.76% of our GDP. However, at times like this, more is needed. Therefore, I tasked the Ministry of Defense to achieve the 2% target by 2024,” Rama said on Twitter, adding that 2% is the floor, not the ceiling, of Albania’s commitment.
Regarding the upcoming summit, Rama said he is ready to affirm Albania’s steadfast commitment to NATO, the security of allies on the eastern flank, the struggle of the Ukrainian people and the need for stability and focus in the region.
In Vilnius, Albania will present its willingness to engage further. We will also announce that, if necessary, Albania is ready to commit additional troops to strengthen NATO’s forward presence. Together we are stronger, and only together can we prevail in this very defining moment for what we believe; for the sake of the generations to come,” he added.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
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