NATO Membership, A New Chapter

TIRANA, March 30 – On the eve of Albania’s NATO membership the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) and the Albanian Council on Foreign Relations organized the forum “Albania in NATO: Perspectives and Challenges” which gathered politicians, representatives of the international community, the media, academia and non-governmental organizations to discuss the significance and challenges that arise from this development. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the AIIS Board of Directors Besnik Mustafaj and AIIS Executive Director Albert Rakipi gave a brief overview of the significance of the country’s accession in NATO. They regarded the development as the most important since the fall of the communist regime and simultaneously a new chapter with respect to the challenges Albania undertakes with membership. Special emphasis was given to the need for political consensus and deep reflection on reform success and all other integration obligations of Albania.
Albania’s President Bamir Topi was the keynote speaker of this forum which is part of a series of activities that the Institute for International Studies regularly organizes in order to enhance and enrich debate and policy-making on international relations, integrations and security matters. President Topi congratulated all the parties that have contributed to this achievement and emphasized its importance for the country and the region. On the challenges expected to rise from full membership, President Topi said that “the successful fulfillment of membership obligations is a national objective and as such it requires the coordination, administration and commitment of all state and public institutions, the awareness of all social, economic and financial actors as integration is only possible through the contribution of all.”