Albania to host NATO Summit in 2027 for the first time: How did the “unimaginable” become reality?

Albania’s accession to NATO in 2009 is considered one of the most important milestones in the country’s modern history, and the Alliance’s decision for Tirana to host the 2027 Summit marks, in the words of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, a new high point in Albania’s international standing. According to experts quoted by Kosovo Online, the choice of Albania’s capital as the meeting place for NATO heads of state or government is not surprising, as the country has proven itself to be a reliable partner to both the EU and NATO, which holds key strategic interests there. The event is expected to be of strategic significance for the entire region.

Written by: Dusica Radeka Djordjevic

At the NATO Summit in The Hague in late June, it was decided that Albania will host the 2027 NATO Summit. Turkey will host it in 2026, while previous hosts included the U.S., Lithuania, and Spain.

So how did Albania reach something that, according to Edi Rama, was "unimaginable" just a few years ago?

Compared to Montenegro and North Macedonia, Albania joined NATO significantly earlier. Montenegro became a member in 2017 and North Macedonia in 2020. When discussing NATO-Albania cooperation, it is often noted that in March 2024, NATO's first airbase in the Western Balkans was inaugurated at Kuçova airport. Albania is also in negotiations with NATO to co-finance a naval base in Porto Romano, including a military section at the port of Durrës. Additionally, 500 Albanian troops are participating in international missions this year.

Albania has already had experience as host of major summits. This year, it welcomed nearly 50 leaders for the European Political Community Summit. It also hosted the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in 2023 and the EU–Western Balkans Summit in 2022.

According to Gert Selenica, chief news editor at RTA 1 in Tirana, hosting the NATO Summit will be of strategic importance not only for Albania but for the whole region.

“NATO has important objectives in Albania,” Selenica told Kosovo Online.

“We have the Kuçova airbase becoming a hub for NATO strategic exercises. We have the 'Defender Europe' military maneuvers held annually—sometimes in Kosovo, sometimes in Albania, or in both. The former concept of ‘small’ versus ‘large’ no longer exists, which is a very good sign that I believe will also have political implications. Our country is no longer a target of criticism, and the fact that we are central to these agendas brings advantages—greater international attention and a stronger presence within the world’s most powerful military alliance,” Selenica said.

He noted that Brussels and Washington want to support and encourage Albania, seeing it as the Balkans’ “good student.”

“They want to put our country at the forefront of rapidly developing processes. This is reflected in the record pace of opening negotiating chapters in EU accession talks. As Commissioner Várhelyi stated, the final group of chapters will be opened this fall, followed by processes aimed at concluding negotiations by 2030,” he noted, adding that Albania is becoming a regional “locomotive” alongside Montenegro.

According to Selenica, the region needs geopolitical balance.

“There is significant Russian influence in the Balkans. Serbia oscillates between the EU and Putin. A geopolitical counterbalance is clearly needed. In my opinion, former U.S. President Trump made significant—and even necessary—decisions by shifting NATO away from bureaucratic stances, making it more pragmatic and focused on defense spending. Despite this, the U.S. still plays a leading role in ensuring that the Alliance is ready for any possible conflict—those that are ongoing and those that might erupt tomorrow. NATO is not just a theoretical alliance; it is an alliance capable of resisting any enemy, regardless of their nuclear power,” he said.

From a geostrategic perspective, Aleksandra Joksimovic, Director of the Center for Foreign Policy in Belgrade, told Kosovo Online that Albania is strategically important for NATO because, along with Montenegro, it closes off the maritime access to Europe.

“NATO Summit locations rotate among member states. Given that Albania is the largest NATO member country in the region, it is logical that Tirana was selected to host the 2027 Summit. It is also notable that NATO’s Deputy Secretary General is Radmila Shekerinska, a politician from North Macedonia, which shows that NATO is giving significant space to the Western Balkans and paying close attention to potential security risks coming from this region,” Joksimovic assessed.

She pointed out that Albania is currently in the spotlight primarily due to its accelerated EU accession process, which is why many international conferences and summits are being held in Tirana.

“Albania is being given the chance to present itself as a constructive international partner that initiates and contributes to concrete solutions. NATO is currently of immense importance for Europe in the context of security,” Joksimovic noted.

Asked whether Kosovo—whose strongest advocate on the international stage is Albania—could benefit from Albania’s growing importance to NATO and its advanced EU candidacy status, Joksimovic offered a broader view.

“As a NATO member, Albania can influence the EU in the context of regional development and the acceleration of accession processes, which would likely benefit everyone, not just Pristina. I wouldn't focus solely on Albania potentially helping Kosovo’s future—it might also positively influence the entire region,” she said.

She emphasized that Albania is undoubtedly one of the most vocal supporters of Kosovo’s independence and a strategic backer of Pristina, even though Tirana and Pristina are not always aligned on every issue.

Commenting on whether Kosovo—which aspires to NATO membership—might benefit from Albania’s growing influence within NATO and the EU, Leposava Ognjanoska Stavrovska, a lecturer at the International Balkan University in Skopje, said that Albania will primarily pursue its own domestic political agenda and strategic priorities.

“Its position undoubtedly allows it to be a more influential regional actor. But for now, I think Albania’s main goal is to present itself as a credible, reliable partner of the EU and NATO. In the coming years, Albania is unlikely to pursue any other agenda that might jeopardize its position in European affairs,” Stavrovska told Kosovo Online.

In her view, NATO and the EU see Albania as a trustworthy partner capable of contributing to their global agendas, making Tirana a favorable venue for hosting high-level gatherings like the NATO Summit in 2027.

She added that NATO Summit host countries are usually chosen based on the strategic significance of the region and the credibility of the host as an ally.

In recent years, she noted, Albania’s EU integration process has helped create societal cohesion and establish the country as a constructive partner of both the EU and NATO—organizations that, despite global challenges, continue to be comprised of the same member countries.

“From a country once internationally isolated and politically closed off, Albania has transformed into a nation seen as a suitable host for events like this, thanks to its opening up through tourism growth, infrastructure investment, and the fact that it is one of the few countries in the region not burdened by bilateral disputes,” she said.

She concluded that in recent years, Albania has been living “a completely different European story compared to North Macedonia.”

“If our story is one of hopelessness, Albania’s path to the EU is a story of enthusiasm,” Ognjanoska Stavrovska concluded.