Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO, says that
Albania is a safe an useful country of the Northern Atlantic Alliance.
In an interview for Top Channel, he says that the country has made visible progress in the area of reforms, and NATO advises Albania to develop the defense and the army’s specialized abilities, while for the others it will have the Alliance’s support.
Jamie Shea: Albania is not an unsafe country anymore and we all know this. It is a useful country for collective defense and solidarity, and reminds us, especially now with the Russian situation in Crimea, that the basic duty of NATO stands first of all on values and safety. Secondly, it keeps us focused on the Balkans. After 1999, NATO moved from Kosovo to Afghanistan, Libya and areas outside Europe. Albania reminds us that now we have peace in the former Yugoslavia, but there are still many works that have not been completed, such as the reconciliation and stability issue in Kosovo, the future enlargement of NATO with three candidate countries, reinforcing cooperation with Serbia, etc.
Top Channel: There is a political debate in our country about the Secret Service director. What are the relations with the Albanian institutions that work with the security issues?
Jamie Shea: The Secret Service is very important for the Alliance, because we have to exchange classified information. Certainly that reforming the Secret Service, and bringing it to a credible standard was a precondition for Albania’s accession five years ago. But now you are part of the NATO, which means that you should have reached that standard. Again, even in this area, the reform is under development as for every democracy. What NATO offers is a forum of experts to get to know better the practice, and to share the national experiences. We can compare and test your system with what we have today in Germany, France or the United States of America. Albania can take advantage from the experience of 27 countries in the NATO.
Top Channel: Are you pleased with the military reform made so far in the Albanian army?
Jamie Shea: Absolutely. NATO offers advises for the best way of restructuring our forces and for the abilities in which Albania can focus. Considering the expensive price of military equipment, the pressure on the defense system and the economic slowdown of Euroep, together with other sectors such as education and insurance, Albania cannot cover everything. That’s why NATO advises for specialized abilities, considering that you can have the support of the Alliance for the rest.
Prepared by: ARTA TOZAJ
Top Channel
