Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 10-year security cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21.
The wide-ranging agreement includes cooperation between the two countries in areas including defense, intelligence sharing, cyber security, nuclear safety, as well as mutual support for each others accession into the European Union, among other topics.
"Albania reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders as of 1991," the agreement reads, adding that the document does not "substitute for Ukraine’s future membership in NATO."
"Albania has been providing military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and it will continue its support throughout the ten-year term of the agreement," Zelensky wrote on X. "I am grateful to Albania for supporting our European integration path, strengthening our positions on the battlefield, and bringing us closer to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine."
As Albania's military support for Ukraine continues, the agreement notes that Albania will "continue to support Ukraine in the same way as in 2022-2024."
The agreement also committed Albania into its participation in the fighter jet coalition, an allied initiative helping Ukraine acquire U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets and the necessary training.
"Albania will make its contribution to the fighter jet coalition by providing English language training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians," the agreement reads.
Albania, a member of NATO, previously signed a joint cooperation agreement with Ukraine in February 2024.
A few days prior on Jan. 19, Tirana opened its first embassy in Ukraine, establishing the country's first permanent diplomatic mission in Kyiv since the two countries entered into diplomatic relations in 1993.
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
