Albanian and Croatian flags raised at NATO base

BAGNOLI, Italy, April 27 – It seems that the ceremonies for Albania’s entrance as a new NATO member have yet to end.
Albania and Croatia raised their national flags last week at the Allied Joint Force Command NATO base near Naples, wrapping up the process of the nations’ accession into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
On April 1st, Albania and Croatia officially joined NATO during a ceremony in Strasbourg, France, becoming the alliance’s 27th and 28th members.
“With each new accession, we achieve greater mutual cooperation and stability, which helps NATO shape the strategic environment in a positive way,” said U.S. Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. “The addition of Albania and Croatia into our NATO family demonstrates their shared commitment to lasting security and great Euro-Atlantic integration.”
Croatia and Albania already have a track record of meeting NATO’s military requirements, the countries’ defense ministers said, contributing troops in Afghanistan and to missions in the Balkans.
“They are a pillar to the alliance,” said Giuseppe Cossiga, Italy’s undersecretary of defense.
“We gather under the raised flags to express … that our desire and will is freedom and peace,” said Gazmend Oketa, Albania’s minister of defense.