TIRANA, July 27 – The Albanian Parliament approved on Monday the fast-track procedure for a loan agreement with the United States under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme. The decision received 75 votes in favour.
Socialist Party parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla requested the accelerated procedure. He said the $302 million agreement would support the modernisation of Albania’s Armed Forces and strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States.
Balla said the agreement would finance military equipment, systems and services through the Foreign Military Sales programme. He added that the programme would follow NATO standards.
Meanwhile, Balla highlighted the increase in Albania’s defence spending. He said the defence budget rose from ALL 24.1 billion in 2020 to ALL 69.2 billion in 2026. According to him, defence spending has reached 2.6% of gross domestic product.
The opposition rejected the fast-track procedure. Opposition lawmakers argued that Parliament should allow more time to review the agreement.
Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi said lawmakers who want access to confidential information must first sign a confidentiality declaration. He added that they can review the agreement after completing this requirement.
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