Albania, Israel seal historic deal

The Aviation School will be re-established in Vlora. This is thanks to the cooperation between the state-owned company KAYO and the prestigious Israeli company Elbit Systems Ltd. The memorandum between the two companies was signed in Vlora, in the presence of Prime Minister Edi Rama, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, Minister of Defense Pirro Vengu, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji.

The memorandum for the re-establishment of the school was signed by the head of the State Weapons Production Company KAYO, under the Ministry of Defense, Ardi Veliu, and a representative of the Israeli company, CE Report quotes ATA.

Defense Minister Pirro Vengu emphasized that this school will produce both military and civilian pilots according to the needs identified.

"The re-establishment of the Aviation School in Vlora, at the Vlora airport in Akërni, will generate not only military pilots but also civilian pilots, as well as military and civilian air traffic controllers, always with significant mutual investment," said Vengu.

"As the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned earlier, referring to the effect of the increased defense budget over this decade, I would like to highlight one single figure: over the next ten years, investments in defense in the Republic of Albania have increased tenfold, from €13 million to €138 million," said Vengu.

He added:

"Albania, fulfilling its obligations as a NATO member, has invested in critical military infrastructure, but not only that. While we aim to increase the defense budget above 2% of the GDP, we are trying to ensure that these investments always have a broader impact on the country's economy, adding value to the national economy. Therefore, we are following a logic in investing in critical infrastructure so that it serves both military mobility and civilian mobility."

"In fact, this is also the case with the entire investment in Corridor 8, where the Port of Porto Romano will be the entry gateway and, as the Deputy Prime Minister stated, will serve as a military and civilian port — a modern, automated commercial port and a military port, offering triple benefits: accommodation of the Albanian Navy vessels, and accommodation of NATO forces for deployments," said Vengu.

However, he added, "infrastructure is not the only pillar. The second pillar relates to investments in human capital. Developing the defense industry and ensuring the sustainability of infrastructure require highly qualified human resources. Therefore, the Armed Forces Academy, together with the Polytechnic University and the University of Vlora, have undertaken to create joint programs to support this national effort for the military industry."

"We need to train naval engineers, armament engineers, air traffic controllers, pilots, and others across the entire cycle of public investments. We must build a new generation of expertise — young professionals who maintain and further develop this critical infrastructure," said Vengu.

"I would also like to briefly mention that for several months now, the Ministry of Defense and the military production company KAYO have been negotiating with a leading Israeli company, Elbit Systems, represented here today, to generate these civilian and military capacities. Therefore, I would like us to move on to the signing of this very important agreement for the re-establishment of the Aviation School in Vlora, at the Vlora airport — a school that will generate not only military but also civilian pilots and air traffic controllers, through a beneficial and mutually valuable investment," he said.

Following the successful cooperation with "Fincantieri" for shipbuilding in Pashaliman, KAYO is now undertaking this important project with "Elbit Systems," the prestigious company that brings advanced technology such as flight simulators for difficult conditions and modern training equipment.

The establishment of the Aviation Academy will lead to cost reductions, sustainable and independent certification, and the strengthening of national defense and civil aviation capacities.