The Balkan nation of Albania on Monday (Mar 4) unveiled a refurbished airbase to be used by the NATO alliance, a move expected to irk Moscow.
The airbase is located in an Albanian city formerly named for Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The base once housed dozens of Soviet- and Chinese-made planes left for years to rust in the open air.
The new NATO airbase in ‘Stalin city’ doesn’t only show Albania’s shift towards the West but also highlights NATO’s expanding footprints in southeast Europe as tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rattle the region.
Kucova transforms into a NATO-backed facility
While inaugurating the base, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stressed that the importance of the base “extended beyond Albania’s borders”.
Italian Eurofighters and US F-16s and F-35s staged a flyover before landing on the new runaway during the event attended by NATO representatives and diplomats.
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The work had been going on for more than two years in the city called Kucova, which has now transformed into a NATO-backed facility. NATO representative Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sanchez de Lara said, “The inauguration of Kucova air base demonstrates that the Alliance — with a 360-degree approach — is heavily engaged in this relevant region.”
Ironically, the construction of the base started in early 2022, just ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kucova is now set to operate as a tactical operational base, featuring an updated control tower and a refurbished runway spanning over two kilometres (1.2 miles). Additionally, the base will accommodate modern military aircraft and offer facilities for refuelling and ammunition storage
Albania’s shift towards the West
In 2009, Albania ended decades of global isolation by joining NATO. During the reign of the paranoid Communist dictator Enver Hoxha, the country had close ties with the Soviet Union and China until differences arose over their interpretation of Marxism. Following the collapse of the communist regime in 1990, Albania shifted towards the West.
The establishment of the new air base is likely to provoke Moscow, which staunchly opposes NATO expansion into Eastern and Central Europe, particularly in the Balkans, a region historically caught between Eastern and Western influences.
(With inputs from agencies)
