Following the conclusion of the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Ankara, attention has turned to Albania and Prime Minister Edi Rama, who will host the next summit.
The fact that the next summit will be held in Tirana is being seen not merely as a change of host, but also as an indicator of the strategic importance NATO attaches to the Balkans and its southeastern flank.
According to experts, at a time when Europe’s security architecture is being reshaped in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Western Balkans has once again become one of the priority regions for NATO.
In this context, Albania’s hosting of the summit is seen as a symbolic step aimed at strengthening the alliance’s political and military engagement with the region.
Albanian political analyst Anisa Bahiti, speaking to Anadolu, addressed the significance of NATO’s 37th summit being held in Albania. Bahiti said: “The fact that NATO’s next summit will be held in Albania will bring the country an unprecedented level of international visibility. This will present an important opportunity to focus on strategic military investments that could be realized through NATO allies and partners.”
