Albania, Hungary deepen defence and EU integration cooperation

Defence Minister of Albania Pirro Vengu held a joint press conference on Tuesday with his Hungarian counterpart Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky following bilateral talks in Budapest, reaffirming close cooperation in defence, security and European integration.

Vengu thanked his counterpart and his team for what he described as intensive cooperation in recent years, saying Albania and Hungary had built a strong partnership at all levels of government, CE Report quotes ATA.

Hungarian investment and leading companies operating in Albania, he added, were increasingly serving as a pillar for expanded cooperation, including military cooperation.

Defence Minister also praised Hungary’s support for Albania’s bid to join the European Union, noting that the country has opened all negotiating clusters and is advancing reforms and interim benchmarks.

“We need the support of all member states for this process – not only technical, but also political – to move forward without delay,” Vengu said.

Defence cooperation and the military industry featured prominently in the talks. Vengu highlighted the development of Hungary’s defence industry and underlined Albania’s aim to integrate military supply chains, giving preference to allied countries.

In that context, the two sides signed two agreements: one to intensify civil-level defence cooperation and another between their respective defence innovation institutions, aimed at securing greater funding from European programmes.

Vengu stressed the strategic importance of Southeast Europe to the continent’s security, saying “Albania is not Europe’s periphery, but part of its nerve centre.”

He also recalled the two countries’ joint engagement in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission in Kosovo and the European Union’s military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For his part, Szalay-Bobrovniczky welcomed the bilateral meeting in Budapest, describing Albania as both a NATO ally and a European partner. He said the Western Balkans plays a key historical, economic and social role, and praised Albania’s contribution to regional stability.

Hungary’s defence chief voiced strong support for Albania’s long-standing path towards EU membership, stressing that Budapest fully backs its accession based on reforms and standards met, rather than political or ideological considerations. He noted that this position differs from Hungary’s stance in other cases, including Ukraine, whose membership Budapest does not support.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky also commended the Albanian Defence Ministry’s modernisation efforts, saying “a colossal amount of work” had been carried out in line with NATO standards. Meeting NATO capability targets and sharing experience were essential for both sides, he added.

He concluded by assuring that Albania can always count on Hungary and its Defence Ministry for support.