Defender 21л American General: Thank you for your hospitality, Albania. We're here to train with our allies.

I want to thank you all for your hospitality. We're very excited to be here in Albania for training: In the coming weeks, I will have over 2,000 American soldiers attending. It's a very great opportunity to learn from this exercise and we're here to work with our NATO allies”, the general said, speaking to the media.

American soldiers arrive in Albania, Chief of the US General Staff: It's a historic event for the military and country

Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces Bajram Begaj as he hosted 267 US military officials, said this is a historic event.

It is a historic exercise that first takes place in Albania today we hosted 267 American troops who are part of this great exercise. It is a complex exercise involving the air, land, and sea field. Today, part of the ground force team to take place in Biza is also the part of the soldiers who arrived today in Biza. It's a historic event not only for the military but also for our country. Begaj said.
US Ambassador Yuri Kim, said thatDefender 21) is also an exercise that has brought employment and injection to the local economy.

It's an exciting day. We are here to see American troops come to Albania for the greatest training done in this region.

Albania is the key host of all Balkan countries. This is historic. I want to underline that this exercise, besides military benefit, brings with it work and injections to the economy.

The US has spent $35m on employing Albanians as drivers, construction workers or cooks. We will have more than 6,000 American soldiers here, not all at once, but times”, the ambassador said.