The multinational exercise "Defender Europe 25" concludes

2025-06-09 17:44:00, Aktualitet CNA

The multinational exercise "Defender Europe 25" concluded with a special ceremony, organized on Distinguished Visitors Day.

This activity was attended by dignitaries from Albania and international partners, including the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji, US Charge d'Affaires, Nancy Van Horn, Deputy Minister of Defense Enkelejdi Joti, Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari, General LaPoint, General McKinney, as well as commanders of the forces and members of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

The guests attended some of the demonstrations within the framework of this exercise, which is one of the most important operations for strengthening collective security in the Euro-Atlantic region.

In his welcoming speech, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji highly praised the commitment of the Armed Forces of Albania and the contribution of the allies in the successful realization of common objectives. He emphasized that the active participation of the Armed Forces, with troops, equipment and infrastructure, constitutes a clear indicator of their professionalism and readiness to face the challenges of the contemporary security environment.

" This ongoing cooperation is a clear demonstration of the strategic partnership and mutual commitment to strengthening regional and Euro-Atlantic security. The exercise tested in real time the readiness, interoperability and response capabilities of the participating forces, and demonstrated our ability to support joint operations in a complex and multidimensional environment ," said Lieutenant General Kingji.

The exercise took place in several countries in the region, including Albania, Kosovo, Croatia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. A particular focus was on developing capabilities for full-spectrum operations, including force deployment, protection from conventional and non-conventional attacks, protection of critical infrastructure and conducting joint operations in multidimensional environments.

Albanian forces played a key role in leading and implementing training scenarios from the Zall-Herr region, in close cooperation with the Multinational Brigade Headquarters and officers from the US, Kosovo and Croatia.

Lieutenant General Kingji particularly thanked the US Forces Europe and Africa Command for choosing our region as the host country of this major exercise for the third consecutive year, describing it as evidence of the strategic partnership between Albania and the US.

“ 'Defender Europe 25' once again confirmed the unwavering commitment of the United States as a strategic ally in strengthening regional and Euro-Atlantic security,” he underlined, adding that “in the face of hybrid threats and growing regional tensions, our response is clear: joint exercises, operational interoperability and long-term partnership ,” emphasized the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces./ CNA