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The naval base in Porto Romano requires 366 million euros. NATO still without a decision

2024-08-22 20:46:06Politikë SHKRUAR NGA ESMERALDA TOPI
The naval base in Porto Romano requires 366 million euros. NATO still without a
The naval base in Porto Romano requires 366 million euros. NATO still without a decision

For two years, the Albanian government has volunteered to welcome in Porto Romano the construction of a naval base by NATO - through a co-financing.

"This one here will be, not only a port that will impact the overall national production, but it will be a port that will impact our security (...) it will also have its own military wing, offering NATO- s a new military base", declared Prime Minister Edi Rama, last month, as the competition for the construction of the new commercial port in Porto Romano was opened. 

"In cooperation with NATO, we have long since started working on the financing of the military port area of ​​Porto Romano, which would not only significantly strengthen Albania's security dimension, but also the role of our country in the area of ​​NATO activity. ", the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, continued in the same line as the Prime Minister.

The Albanian government makes it a fact that the autonomous naval base of Porto Romano was completed by NATO, even though the North Atlantic Alliance has not yet made a decision.

An official of the Atlantic Alliance reconfirmed for Faktoje that "there is still no decision about the base in Porto Romano".

"NATO usually takes time to consider the operational requirements for such a point," he added.

Priority project

While NATO is considering the possibility of co-financing the naval base in Porto Romano, the Albanian government has included the project in the unique list of projects of national importance. Classified as a priority project, the autonomous naval base is planned to have a cost of 366 million euros.

The persistence of the Albanian government to bring NATO closer to another base in Albania, researcher Ledion Kristafi sees as a smart strategy from the Albanian side.

"Given that Albania does not have the financial capacity to meet its military needs, by proposing to NATO to make a base in Albania, NATO invests and Albania benefits from this investment", he says.

According to Kristafi, the naval base in Porto Romano will serve as NATO's logistical support in the Western Balkans, but it is not important against the background of the developments taking place in Ukraine and Russia.

"NATO is building a giant base in Romania that has direct relevance to the war in Ukraine and its consequences. The base of Porto Romano will most likely be a base similar to that of Kuçova, but now not for the air, but for the navy", Kristafi emphasizes, adding that the importance of this base would only increase in the event of a conflict in the Balkans.

While Colonel Dritan Demiraj sees the establishment of a NATO naval base in Albania as an attempt to increase the country's role in the Alliance.

"I think that the establishment of the air base together with Prime Minister Rama's constant request for the establishment of a naval base in support and with NATO funds in Durrës, increase Albania's role in the alliance and therefore also its international political support" , claims the former commander of the Special Forces.

rear

The idea of ​​establishing a NATO naval base in Albania was first publicly floated by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in July 2022.

"I greatly appreciate your willingness to take some time in our conversation to present to you our ambition, [...] making available to NATO a naval base of the last word that will be a place that not only can we build, but we can build it taking into account the challenges of our time [...]", declared Rama alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg - during an official visit to Brussels.

A year later, from Skopje, Rama asked the North Atlantic Alliance to speed up the procedures related to Albania's request to co-finance the new naval base. 

"I would also like to emphasize the request that Albania's application to co-finance with NATO the new NATO naval base in Porto Romano be processed as soon as possible [...]", said Rama after a meeting between the leaders of the member countries of NATO from Southeast Europe to Skopje.

cONcluSiON

Based on the verification carried out, we categorize the Prime Minister's statement regarding the NATO naval base in Porto Romano as half true. /Faktoje.al


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