ALBANIA has sent a warning signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a meeting with NATO concerning a new naval base in the country, according to the British newspaper “Express” (express.co.uk).
The news comes as Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is set to sit down with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the proposal. Recent moves saw Albania, a NATO member since 2009, start work on converting a former Soviet base into a NATO airbase, cementing Tirana’s ties with Brussels. Mr Rama will meet Mr Stoltenberg on Wednesday this week to discuss the project following an announcement releasing the news on July 1.
The port will be situated in Porto Romano, Durres, 40 minutes from the capital and will comprise a commercial section and a military naval base.
Financing will be provided by both the Albanian state and NATO.
Albania currently spends around 1.53 percent of its annual GDP on defence speaking, well short of the minimum suggested figure of two percent.
Speaking of the plan, Mr Rama said: “We will soon go back to Brussels to continue our discussions regarding our proposal…for the installation of a NATO naval base in the new port in Durres.”
In May, Mr Rama said his government had offered the Pashaliman naval base south of Tirana to NATO.
Located south of Vlore, some 140 miles from Durres, it was the only Soviet Union base in the Mediterranean during the 1950s at a time when Albania’s communist regime was aligned with Moscow.
After the collapse of communism, it was rebuilt with the help of Turkey, which retained the right to use it.
The Albanian navy still uses the base for some operations and exercises today.
That option appears to have been tabled in favour of Porto Romano.
NATO is also transforming a former communist-era military airbase in Kucova, previously known as Stalin City.
The 350-hectare airbase is currently home to many out-of-use Soviet-era and Chinese MiGs, Antonovs and Yak-18s.
Refurbishment of the base is set to cost around £40million and become operational in 2023.
The base will serve as a storage facility for ammunition, as well as acting as a refuelling centre.
Work is also currently being carried on out restoring the runway and control tower to full operational use.
The original base was built using prison labour under the regime of communist dictator Enver Hoxha.
/Argumentum.al
