Albania sends troops to Afghanistan

TIRANA: Albania despatched yestersday a company of soldiers to join US-led forces in Afghanistan, its first troops likely to fight abroad since World War Two.

The Eagle 1 unit of 44 troops will serve for six months under US command in the Kandahar area, and more might follow from Albania, which joined Nato a year ago. “You ... will take part in operational actions shoulder to shoulder with soldiers of the most excellent army in the world, the American army,” Prime Minister Sali Berisha told the troops at a departure ceremony.

More troops could follow this mission, Berisha added, reflecting Albania’s strong support of the United States, which helped it to join Nato and intervened in neighbouring Kosovo in 1999 when Serb forces were cracking down on ethnic Albanians.

“My government is determined to work and back the Armed Forces and, step by step in the future, we might field not just one company, but a battalion alongside our allies if need be,” Berisha said. Albania has sent troops to a number of peacekeeping missions abroad since ditching communism in 1990. afp