The U.S. European Command-led multinational military exercise kicked off for second time in Albania today, a large-scale exercise designed to build preparedness and interoperability between the United States, NATO, and Partner countries.

Albanian Armed Forces will join the large-scale exercise Defender Europe -23 between May and June 2023 as part of the U.S. European Command package, which will be held at several locations across Europe and is designed to demonstrate the U.S. military’s ability to rapidly deploy combat-credible troops and equipment to assure allies, deter those who would threaten the peace of Europe and defend the continent from aggression. 

The exercise also demonstrates the commitment of European nations to increase the scale, capability and interoperability of their own militaries. 

Defender Europe – 23 is an annual large-scale USAREUER-AF led multinational and multidimensional exercise, focusing on building preparedness and interoperability between the United States, NATO, and Partner countries.

Prime Minister Edi Rama addressed the Defender Europe 23 Opening Ceremony at Tirana’s Mother Teresa Square:

 

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Albania has the honour of hosting for a second time the largest military exercise in Europe, Defender Europe 2023, and this is an exceptional privilege for Albania’s Armed Forces as host and participants in this large-scale exercise that for a second time in a row reveals continued improvement of our military capacities, also thanks to the precious support and assistance from our American allies and other allied NATO member countries.

Never before has Albania enjoyed such high respect at an international level and the country has played a first-hand role having a seat at the table of the UN Security Council, standing side-by-side with the United States of America as co-penholder on Ukraine issue. Albania takes a first-hand profile and role, placing not only incredible responsibility, but also pointing out the country’s progress and maturity.

The conduct of this U.S.-led multinational exercise is at the same time an expression of unity and staunch determination of the entire Euro-Atlantic community to defend at all costs the values ​​and principles on which our societies are built.

This exercise, once again reminds us of the fact that regardless of the language we speak, regardless of the flag we represent, we are inextricably linked to precisely those values ​​and principles, which are equally under threat. That’s why we all are compelled by our history and by our future to work in total unity. 

Last year we received the great news that the U.S. Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) had decided to locate a forward-based Special Operation Forces’ headquarters in Albania, again clearly showing that Albania remains, not only a strong and reliable NATO and U.S. ally, but also that Albania is step by step becoming an ever firmer point of reference on our continent.

With the Kuçova aerodrome set to become operational as a new NATO air base soon and hopefully this will be also the case with the new port that is designed to include a component to serve as another NATO operational base, but for the naval forces this time, we can openly state that a new page of our national history is being written and, on this new page, we are not only consumers, but also contributors to this tremendous Alliance to guarantee security and prosperity of all our nations.

I would like to specifically thank all of those involved in this exercise and certainly express respect and special gratitude to our strategic allies. I wish all the best to each and every one of you and every success in this common effort for something that is much bigger than us and for something without which we wouldn’t be the ones we have always sought to be.

Thank you!