NATO Examining Plan to Revamp Albanian Naval Base

NATO and Albania are assessing the Albanian government’s proposal to modernize the Pasha Liman naval base in the Mediterranean Sea.

Minister of Defense Olta Xhaçka and US Ambassador Yuri Kim visited the base in Vlora on Sunday, of which NATO and Albania “are assessing the potential to modernize and transform it into a NATO representative project.

The naval base is located in southern Albania, in the Bay of Vlore.

Pasha Liman Base

In October 2019, Albania presented NATO with its plan to revamp the base, and asked for cooperation to transform it so as to support operational needs of the alliance. NATO confirmed they were examining the best way to develop the project.

In January 2019, NATO started work to revamp the Kuçova air base, some 80 kilometres south of the capital Tirana. The first stage of investment amounts to €50 million. It will serve as a supporting base for NATO’s air supply operations, logistics, training and exercises.

Albania has been a NATO member since 2009.