Albania has announced plans to revive the country’s communist-era weapon production plants with the help of foreign investors.
Defense Minister Niko Peleshi revealed that the government hosted foreign companies to visit a disused factory in the south-central city of Polican, as well as two production plants in Elbasan and Gramsh currently used as weapon demilitarization facilities.
“We intended to approach it in a more professional way by making an assessment with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency in Luxemburg. We made an evaluation report to better know how much investment will be needed and how the market projections are. Now we are more clear to invest,” he shared.
“Obviously, there is a need for investments and investors. It can’t just be developed by the state or by state enterprises.”
The defense minister added that the decision directly addresses the current demand for ammunition and weapons amid rising tensions.
Developments in Albania
Aside from planning to reestablish its production plants, Albania has also reopened its airbase in Kuçova to support NATO air missions.
The reopening, which cost approximately 50 million euros ($53.7 million), was spearheaded by NATO as part of its primary defense construction initiatives in member states.
The airbase is set to support the alliance’s aerial deployments, logistics, military training, and exercises.
Other multinational developments in the country include the opening of the US Special Operations Command Europe’s “forward-based headquarters” in 2022, a command post set to respond to region-wide military missions.