Foreign Minister Igli Hasani said on "Off the Record" by Andrea Danglli, on A2 CNN, that we live in interesting times, when asked about the "breakdown" of relations in the Euro-Atlantic Alliance, of which Albania is a part, following the return of Donald Trump to the White House.
Hasani, among other things, praised Albania's work to achieve 2% of its gross domestic product to invest in modernizing the Armed Forces and meeting NATO's spending criteria.
"The Euro-Atlantic relationship is very strong. Today's Europe is a product of the American contribution after World War II and that will continue to be evident and just as strong, although there are demands that we in old Europe are trying to digest and adapt to. One of the important conversations in this configuration is the share of the contribution to the defense budget in relation to the gross domestic product. The first Trump administration forced NATO member countries to at least meet 2% and this trend should continue. I feel good when I see that we have been able to dedicate 2.03% of the GDP to defense, to fulfill not only the obligations in relation to the Alliance but also to modernize the Armed Forces", said Hasani in "Off the Record" by Andrea Danglli, on A2 CNN.
Hasani sees the rearmament of the EU and the Balkans, and in particular Albania, which will put its weapons production plants back into operation, as " a matter of progress, evolution, good administration " and valuable for "cleaning up that old stock that has not only passed all its expiration dates, but also no longer fits technology and development . "
" These are processes that have always existed. In NATO before the 90s, when the Berlin Wall and the Warsaw Pact still existed, the criterion for the defense spending ratio has always been above 3 percent. We do not have a situation where we all think alike, we have a battle of democracies and democracies, where the perspectives are diametrically opposed ," declared the Albanian chief diplomat in "Off the Record" by Andrea Danglli, on A2 CNN. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
