Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, Director of the RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation, held a productive meeting with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Pirro Vengu, in Tirana today. The meeting underscored the exceptional cooperation between Albania and RACVIAC, highlighting Albania’s active role and continued contributions to regional security and stability in South East Europe (SEE).
Ambassador Grigorie expressed deep appreciation for Albania’s long-standing commitment to RACVIAC, noting the country’s key role in its evolution. From the early days as a supporting country, Albania has become its fully engaged and exemplary Member, significantly contributing to RACVIAC mission. The Director expressed heartfelt appreciation for Albania’s consistent financial support, noting the country’s increased annual contributions which reflect its robust dedication to RACVIAC mission.
The discussions underscored Albania’s leadership within RACVIAC, with Minister Vengu reaffirming support for the Centre’s initiatives. Ambassador Grigorie thanked Albania for its role as MAG Chair in 2012 and 2016, and for nominating Mrs. Ardiana Hobdari as the incoming MAG Chair for 2024. Special recognition was made of Major General (ret.) Jeronim Bazo’s service as RACVIAC Director, and in regards to the contribution of Albania’s secondee as Planning and Liaison Officer for SEE.
Highlighting Albania’s proactive involvement the Director commended Albania for hosting the ongoing RACVIAC event in Tirana on individual and regionally-based cyber and hybrid threats and challenges in SEE in collaboration with the Military Academy “Mihailo Apostolski” in Skopje. He emphasized the importance of such initiatives in addressing the evolving security challenges in the region.
Ambassador Grigorie also briefed the Minister on RACVIAC upcoming activities for 2024, including a planned conference on resilience and protection of critical infrastructure in 2025. He expressed confidence in Albania’s leadership as it prepares to assume the MAG Chairmanship.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the strong partnership between RACVIAC and Albania. Both parties noted with satisfaction that there are no outstanding issues in their collaboration, and Ambassador Grigorie expressed gratitude for Albania’s unwavering support, dedication, and cooperation.
