The US chargé d'affaires in Tirana, Nancy VanHorn, said that due to its strategic location, Albania is now a vital asset for NATO, the Albanian Radio and Television reported, BTA reported.
She stated this in Tirana yesterday during an event related to the arrival of the command ship "Mount Whitney" of the US Sixth Fleet in Albania on September 9. According to a statement from the US Embassy in Albania, quoted by the media, the arrival of the ship marks a historic moment and is "a new phase in Albania's military modernization and an important step in the strategic partnership between the US and Albania in the field of defense and security".
"Mount Whitney" was anchored in Porto Romano near the Albanian coastal city of Durres, where a new port complex is being built, which will have both a commercial and a military part.
In November 2024, Albanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Baluku confirmed that talks with NATO were underway to build a naval base in Porto Romano - a newly built port on the Albanian Adriatic coast near Durres - and that they were at an advanced stage. "We are in talks with NATO officials to build a naval base in addition to the commercial part of the new port of Porto Romano. Discussions are at an advanced stage," she said.
Baluku said that the port of Porto Romano and the naval base would be connected to Corridor 8 via the Durres railway line – Rogozina (Central Albania), which is why it is also one of the most important railway projects in Albania.
At the event yesterday, Nancy VanHorn stressed that the development of Porto Romano as a NATO military and logistics port not only enhances Albania's defense capabilities, but also that by strengthening and connecting it with roads and railways, Albania will become "a vital route for a possible operation on NATO's eastern flank".
The US Chargé d'Affaires in Tirana stressed that the infrastructure of the deep-sea cargo port, linked to the road and rail network, will also help Albania meet its commitment as a NATO member to spend 5 percent of its GDP on defense.
This investment will strengthen regional security, strengthen NATO's eastern flank and attract investments from many countries, Nancy VanHorn was quoted by Albanian Radio and television.
"The United States fully welcomes and encourages Albania's development of a naval base and deep-sea cargo port right here in Porto Romano. Albania's investment in strengthening Porto Romano will demonstrate to the region - and to all of Europe - Albania's ability to be a true leader in NATO," she said.
Nancy VanHorn added that security was what brought the people at the event together. "We are here because of our shared commitment to collective defense and the protection of our peoples," she added.
Albania joined NATO in 2009, along with Croatia.