Albania hosts NATO Summit in 2017, confirmation comes from Holland

The confirmation comes from the draft of this year's NATO Summit declaration, which will be held next week in The Hague, the Netherlands, which Radio Free Europe has seen.

At the end of the draft of the declaration, it is clearly stated: “We express our gratitude for our hospitality from the Kingdom of Holland. We look forward to our next meeting in Turkey in 2026, which will be followed by a meeting in Albania. ”

Albania as geopolitical actress, defence investment

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had warned last summer that Albania would welcome the NATO summit in 2027, a warning that already appears to be formalised.

For Albania, this will be a peak moment after NATO membership in 2009. Albania's capital, Tirana, has already been hosting important events, such as the European Political Community summit in May of this year, witnessing the country's organisational skills.

NATO has a considerable presence in Albania, including the air base in Kuchova, which is the only one in the Western Balkan region. This base was inaugurated in March 2024, following an investment of approximately 50m euros from NATO and more than 5m euros from the Albanian government.

Also, Albania is in talks with NATO on building a maritime base in Porto Romano on the Adriatic coast, stressing the country's growing strategic role in regional and Euro-Atlantic security architecture.

This event seems to be a good opportunity for Albania to demonstrate its active role and contribution to the Alliance.

NATO commitments and support for Ukraine

The Hague summit is expected to reaffirm the alliance's essential commitments. According to the draft declaration, NATO leaders will reaffirm the commitment to collective protection under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, as well as the determination to protect citizens and democracy.

Another important commitment is increased defence spending to at least 5% of GDP by 2032. This figure is further divided: 3.5% for military capacities and 1.5% for critical infrastructure, innovation and defence industry.

Support for Ukraine remains strong and will be included in defence spending calculations. The alliance also committed to strengthening the joint defence industry, removing trade barriers and promoting technological co-operation among allies. /rtsh