Albania receives naval ship from Italy to boost military and NATO missions

TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Italy donated a military ship to Albania on Tuesday to help the country reinforce its army, increase patrolling of its coastline and intensify its participation in NATO missions.

The Libra P 402 ship, a Cassiopea-class patrol vessel built by Italy in the late 1980s, docked at the western port of Durres and was officially handed over to Albania during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama and defense ministers of both countries. A large Albanian flag was painted on its side and its number was changed to P 133.

"Under these difficult times the nations should try a closer joint cooperation," Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said of the NATO-member countries.

"It is a concrete demonstration of the friendship between Italy and Albania and our desire to work and collaborate in the military and economic fields," Crosetto added.

Rama described the gift as "very generous, a sign of deep friendship and respect."

The 1,500-metric-ton (1,476-ton), 79.8-meter-long (87-yard-long) vessel can reach a speed of up to 20 knots (23 mph) and has a reach of 3,200 nautical miles (3,682 statute miles). Tasked mainly with maritime defense and surveillance, it has a 60-member crew, a helipad and a garage.

"It will serve not only in missions for security and peace in the Republic of Albania's waters in the Adriatic and Ionian (seas) but also beyond, in the Mediterranean Sea” to participate in NATO missions, said Counter Admiral Adnan Agastra, head of the Albanian navy.

Since Albania joined NATO in 2009, Italy has been one of the most important supporters of its ongoing efforts to modernize the army in line with NATO requirements. Its renovated airport in the central city of Kucove was converted into a NATO technical air base last year. The tiny Western Balkan country has sent many troops to peaceful NATO-led missions in Europe and beyond. Albania is also now in full membership negotiations to join the European Union.

Post-World War II Albania was linked to the then-Soviet Union until 1961, though it left the Warsaw Treaty formally in 1968 after the invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia. Tirana then got close to China until 1978, after which it suffered from the loss of that country’s direct financial aid.

The former communist regime collapsed after student protests in December 1990. The first pluralistic election was held in March 1991.

In November 2023, Albania signed a five-year deal with Italy to open two fast-track asylum-processing centers that could be used to hold up to 3,000 migrants picked up by the Italian coast guard in international waters. Last month, Italy's far-right-led government approved a decree expanding the use of the centers to include repatriation hubs, in line with a recent EU proposal.

Under Italy’s ownership last year, the Libra was involved in the first two of three attempts to transfer 73 such migrants to Albania. Italian magistrates refused to validate their detention in the non-EU country, however, and all were immediately sent back to Italy.