TIRANA, Nov 12 /ATA/ – Albania has not proposed postponing the next NATO summit or holding it virtually, Defence Minister Ermal Nufi said on Wednesday, rejecting what he described as a misinterpretation of his recent remarks reported by POLITICO.
Nufi said his comments had been taken out of context, giving a misleading impression of Tirana’s position on hosting the Alliance’s next summit.
“The next NATO summit will be held in Tirana, in line with the decision taken by the Alliance. Albania has already begun preparations to organise and host it,” Nufi said in a statement.
He said his reference to a virtual meeting concerned only discussions among allied leaders on setting the date of the summit, not the format of the event itself.
“In response to the journalist’s questions about the summit date, I explained that this is a matter for the leaders of allied countries, who can discuss and decide on it through a virtual meeting without having to convene in person for that purpose,” he said.
“My reference to a virtual meeting related exclusively to the decision-making process on the date and in no way to holding the summit itself virtually,” the Defence Minister added.
Nufi said the date would be announced once agreed by the Alliance and formally communicated by NATO.
“Albania has proposed neither postponing the NATO summit nor holding it virtually. We are preparing to host it in Tirana, as agreed by the allies. Any other interpretation of my remarks does not reflect what I said or the official position of the Republic of Albania,” he said.
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