Deepening defence cooperation: Albania, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia come together in Venice

The defence ministers of the six coastal countries of the Adriatic-Ionian area — Albania, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia — gathered today in Venice to discuss deepening regional cooperation in the field of defence and security, in the face of an ever more complex strategic environment.

During the meeting, Defence Minister Nufi stressed the importance of strengthening this initiative as a key practical mechanism for increasing coordination, interoperability and joint capacity-building, with the aim of responding effectively to new security challenges.

In his speech, Minister Nufi underlined Albania’s support for continuing discussions on the Continental European Defence Initiative (CEDI), under which Europe takes greater responsibility for its own security in a way complementary to NATO and while keeping transatlantic ties strong.

“ADRION and CEDI are two complementary directions: one through deepening practical cooperation in the Adriatic and the Ionian; the other through strengthening political and strategic coordination in Europe,” he said.

In this framework, Minister Nufi confirmed Albania’s readiness to contribute actively to realising the shared ambitions, turning them into real capacities and concrete results in the service of European security and beyond.

The Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (ADRION) is a regional mechanism of cooperation in the field of defence and maritime security between Albania, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia. The initiative focuses on increasing practical cooperation, operational coordination, military interoperability and the development of joint defence capacities in the region.