TIRANA, March 5 – Albania’s parliament discussed this week an agreement among countries in the region to establish a joint Balkan Medical Task Force, an initiative supported by the United States and Norway to help the population in times of crisis and natural disasters.
The agreement was made among Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia and it will involve setting up a mobile medical military unit that will help the population in case of natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
“The U.S. and Norway have provided funding to help improve response to possible natural disasters,” said Halim Kosova, a medical doctor who serves as an MP for the Democratic Party.
Albania and the other countries of the region often encounter natural disasters, mostly floods.
“The agreement enhances the efficiency of military medical structures and is a great contributor to our country in cases of natural disasters. The agreement enhances the quality of service and the exchange of experience of member countries,” said Socialist MP Elona Hoxha, adding it is the first initiative of this kind to support operations in a rapid response to crises.
The refugee crisis showed that better coordination is needed and this agreement can serve in similar cases, Hoxha added.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs praised the importance of this deal, but stressed that its ratification was delayed by the government over costs and logistics, issues the government says have now been solved.
The approval of the Balkan Medical Task Force needs a two thirds vote in parliament to be ratified, but it looks set for approval as it has bipartisan support.
