Albania's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that preparations are nearing completion at the NATO military alliance's air base in the south-central Albanian town of Kucove before it is inaugurated on March 4.

The Commander of the Air Force of Albania, Brigadier General Ferdinand Dimo, said that NATO troops and its aircraft will soon be accommodated, trained and flown from Kuçova Air Base, now NATO's tactical air base. .

Albania is a member of NATO since 2009.

The Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi, through a post on social networks, emphasized that this base will play a key role in supporting NATO operations and exercises.

"This base will serve as a hub for our Air Force's activities, providing advanced infrastructure for the Alliance's fighter and transport aircraft. This step marks a new stage in strengthening our capacities for international cooperation and regional security", writes Peleshi on Facebook.

The Kuçova base was also mentioned by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during his visit to Tirana on February 15.

"During its 15 years in NATO, Albania has made significant contributions to our alliance. Next month, the NATO air base in Kucove will be inaugurated, said Blinken.

The works for its reconstruction started in January 2022. Since then, work has been done on the fencing and security system, as well as protection in the perimeter where this base is located.

Approximately 50 million euros have been invested by NATO and more than 5 million euros have been invested by the Albanian government. The Albanian authorities have undertaken the construction of the security perimeter and connecting roads, lighting, the installation of base security cameras and intrusion detection sensors along the perimeter of the base.

At the time when the construction of this base began, Minister Niko Peleshi stated that this was a clear message "to other actors with bad intentions" in the Western Balkans region.

For the Albanian authorities, the selection of the Kuçova base is related to the geo-strategic position of the country, as well as its own airport, as well as the credibility that Albania has created within the military alliance.

High representatives of the Albanian state, NATO and the USA will participate in the ceremony for the inauguration of the air base.

Kuçova airbase was built in the 1950s, but fell out of use in the 90s.

After the reconstruction of the Kuçova base, the Government of Prime Minister Edi Rama requested to proceed as soon as possible regarding Albania's application to co-finance with NATO the reconstruction of the new naval base in Porto Romano. /rel/