Albania Redefined: NATO and the Security Architecture Shaping Tirana’s Foreign Policy

This report is part of the larger anthology “Insights into Albania: Internal Struggles and Geopolitical Challenges in the Western Balkans”

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Read the full anthology here

In recent years, Albania has adopted a more proactive attitude in its foreign policy, exemplified both by the holding of leadership roles in multilateral initiatives and organizations and an increased contribution to regional dialogue and cooperation. In many ways, this momentum can be traced back to 2009, when the country officially became a NATO member. Since then, Albania has increasingly played an important role in the security environment of the Western Balkans. This essay highlights the pillars and transformation of Albania’s foreign policy, explores how its membership in NATO aligns with its foreign policy in the last decade, and evaluates its overall role in enhancing security and regional cooperation in the Balkans. 

Akri Çipa is a foreign policy expert and consultant in Balkan affairs, with a focus on security issues, transatlantic relations, regional cooperation, and EU enlargement. He holds a master’s degree in negotiation and conflict resolution from Columbia University in New York and a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from the American University in Bulgaria. You can follow Cipa on X at https://x.com/AkriCipa and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/akri-cipa/.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not an official policy or position of New Lines Institute.