Albania hosts 240,000 troops for “Defender 23”

Twenty-four thousand Albanian, European and American military troops participate in this exercise.

At the opening ceremony of the exercise at Teresa's “Square in Tirana on Monday morning, senior state personalities and the Albanian Army, American Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim, as well as senior American military leaders.

Various weapons were exposed on several billboards.

Albania's President Bajram Begaj said the importance of this exercise is more tangible than ever and that the continuation of this military maneuver is more than necessary for the Western Balkan region.

“Albania is dedicated to its mission as a stabilising factor in the Balkans and a security exporter in the region and wider”, the president stressed.

While Prime Minister Edi Rama said Albania is privileged to be hosting this training for the second time.

“Albania has the honour of hosting Europe's largest military exercise for the second time. This is a special privilege for our Armed Forces, who are hosts and participants. For the second time, this exercise highlights the continued improvement of our military capacities, thanks to the support of our American and other allies of NATO”, Rama said.

He added that Albania has never been higher “at the level of international respect”.
“[ Albania today has been seated at the UN Security Council as a co-partisan on the Ukrainian issue. This is the extraordinary responsibility, which puts in what maturity and development have reached our country”, Rama said.

The American ambassador on the other hand said this exercise shows that the US, along with the Allied countries, can carry out any mission.

In two years since Defender 2021, the world has changed, Albania and our NATO allies are more united and stronger than ever. I cannot help but recall the words of Skenderbe, unity makes power. Since Defender 2021, Albania and the US have been doing more than ever before together. We have established the first two US military presences in Albania's history. Defender 2023 will show us that together with allies and partners we can carry out any mission. We are proud to call Albania Allied and Friend”, Yuri Kim said.

Albanian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Arben Kiggi said this exercise shows Albania's readiness and its allies that they are prepared to face any challenge.

800 Albanian military troops participate in the exercise, while military members from 10 different European countries and the US participate.

The exercise has brought about 70,000 equipment from the US, as well as another 13 thousand that were extracted from the weapons depots currently deployed in areas where the exercise will be conducted, which will last until 2 June.

The “Defender 2023” exercise started the day before in Kosovo.