REL: Opposition against accelerated procedure for agreement with the US

The Albanian Parliament was embroiled in debate while reviewing a $302 million loan agreement with the United States, intended for the modernization of the Albanian Armed Forces.

The socialist majority demanded that the agreement be put on the agenda through an accelerated procedure, arguing that its implementation should begin as soon as possible to strengthen the country's defense capacities.

The opposition, although it stated that it supports the agreement, objected to the way it was being reviewed.

On June 19, the Government approved in principle the direct loan agreement between the Republic of Albania and the United States of America, within the framework of Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

The Speaker of the Parliament, Niko Peleshi, said that the proposal for the accelerated procedure was made by the deputies of the Socialist Party.

He explained that MPs can become familiar with the content of the agreement after signing the confidentiality statement.

The head of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, described the agreement as "historic", saying that it represents a testament to the United States' trust in Albania.

"This funding will be used exclusively for the modernization of the Armed Forces, defense equipment and services according to NATO standards," he said.

According to Balla, the funds will be disbursed gradually according to the needs of the Ministry of Defense.

Albania will have 48 months to activate the funds and 12 years to repay the loan, while their use will be monitored by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The opposition praised the agreement, but opposed the parliamentary procedure.

The head of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group, Gazment Bardhi, said that the approach followed by the majority contradicts the Constitution and proposed that the agreement be initially reviewed in parliamentary committees, before being put to a vote in another session.

Referring to Article 83 of the Constitution, Bardhi argued that a law cannot be approved earlier than one week from the start of the review procedure and warned that the opposition will appeal the procedure to the Constitutional Court.

He also criticized the Government for, as he said, delays in fulfilling commitments to NATO.

"You talk to us about historic agreements, but you had 14 years to fulfill your obligations in the field of security. If public funds had not been misused through corruption, Albania would not have needed to take out such a loan," said Bardhi.

The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, also said that the agreement was forwarded by American authorities several months ago and was approved by the Government on June 19, but that it had not been made public.

According to him, there is no reason for it to be brought to the Assembly through an expedited procedure.

On June 11, Albania's Minister of Defense, Ermal Nufi, paid an official visit to Washington, where he met with the acting director of DSCA, Mary Beth Morgan.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the talks focused on advancing joint projects, strengthening defense capacities, and increasing Albania's contribution to NATO.

DSCA is an agency of the US Department of Defense that administers military cooperation programs with partner countries, including financing, the sale of military equipment, and projects to modernize the armed forces.

At the end of June, Albania increased its defense budget by 10.3 billion lek - approximately 105 million euros.

According to the Government, with this addition, defense spending reaches 2.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The budget increase comes at a time when the United States is asking NATO allies to increase defense investments, while the Alliance has set a target for member countries to aim for spending up to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.

Protest outside the Parliament

Meanwhile, another anti-government protest was held outside the Albanian Parliament on Monday.

Police blocked the access roads to the Parliament and imposed increased security measures.

Protesters threw eggs and tomatoes at officers, while police used tear gas to disperse them.

A young man was taken to hospital for medical attention and several protesters were escorted to the police station, including one of the organizers.

The "Flamingo Revolution" protest, which has been taking place for about two months, moves to the front of the Parliament whenever plenary sessions are held.

This time, the security perimeter was significantly expanded to prevent protesters from approaching the deputies.

Last week, 17 people were injured during clashes between protesters and law enforcement, while about 30 people were escorted to the police - among them a journalist and an American linguistic anthropologist.

The protests began as opposition to the project supported by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, for the construction of a resort in Zvërnec, near Vlora.

Later, they turned into a broader movement against government policies, with demands for the protection of the environment and territory, the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama's Government, and the dissolution of the Parliament. REL