The opening ceremony of the Kuçova Tactical Air Base, NATO’s first air base in the Western Balkans, was held in the Kuçova Municipality of Berat Province, Albania.
The opening ceremony was attended by Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Parliament Speaker Lindita Nikolla, Prime Minister Edi Rama, Defense Minister Niko Peleshi, Albanian government ministers, Kosovo Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci, North Macedonia Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Turkey’s military representative in NATO, Lieutenant General Yüksel Kayhan, representatives of NATO and alliance member countries, Turkey’s Ambassador to Tirana Tayyar Kagan Atay and ambassadors.
Begaj, in his speech here, stated that this air base is the result of cooperation, solidarity, coordination and coordination between the allies and the attention Albania shows to security and defense, and said, “From this air base, we send a strong message of peace together and we witness that NATO is determined to protect the freedom and security of the allies by guaranteeing collective defense.”
Nikolla also said that Albania, despite only being a member of the Alliance for 15 years, is a sincere partner and an Alliance member state that makes an effective contribution to maintaining peace and security.
Rama described the air base as another security element for the Western Balkans, noting that “we know very well that the region is not safe from Russia’s threats and neo-imperialist ambitions.”
Emphasizing that the reactivation of this military airport is part of the renewal and further enhancement of the quality of his country’s air fleet, Rama said, “The two new Black Hawk helicopters and Bayraktar UAVs are part of a growth that will continue.”
Thanking those who contributed, Rama expressed the hope that this air base will be included in NATO’s new naval base plans in Porto Romano in Durrës in the coming years.
Peleshi also stressed that the air base is one of NATO’s biggest investments in Albania.
Pointing out that the Black Hawk helicopters provided with the support of their strategic partner the USA and the Bayraktar SİHAs provided in cooperation with the Republic of Turkey are ready to take off from this air base, Peleshi said, “Their number will increase significantly in the near future.”
“Relations between Türkiye and Albania continue to develop at the highest level”
Kayhan also expressed his wish that the Kuçova Air Base would be beneficial to Albania and the Alliance.
Stating that the deep historical friendship between Turkey and Albania, which dates back more than 500 years, is a manifestation of brotherly ties that transcend centuries, Kayhan said, “Relations between Turkey and Albania continue to develop at the highest level based on a sense of mutual trust. It is gratifying that our diplomatic relations with Albania, with which we raised our relations to the level of Strategic Partnership in 2021, are also continuously developing.”
NATO Combined Air Operations Center Commander Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sanchez de Lara also stated that Albania is fully integrated into NATO’s air defense system and shared his belief that this air base will be compatible with all NATO standards.
Crosetto pointed out that the opening of the air base took place at a time when deep and rapid changes were taking place in the international arena.
Field work was started in January 2022
At the ceremony, aircraft such as UAVs, airplanes and helicopters, including Bayraktar TB2 SIHAs, were exhibited and flights were carried out.
Field work was initiated in January 2022 to implement the modernization project of the Tactical Air Base in Kuçova.
According to Albanian authorities, the cost of the air base, built in accordance with NATO standards, is around 50 million euros. The Albanian government also invested 5 million euros.
The project includes the improvement of the air base’s runway, infrastructure for flight control and safety, connecting roads and other auxiliary vehicles.
